The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 266 The Feud of Three Arrows, Do You Remember?

A seven-foot green pole with a ten-foot fishing line, swaying in the wind among the reeds and rushes. Several times I've raised my hand to cast the fragrant bait, startling the ducks on the sandy beach.

"click"

A lively bass landed on the light boat.

The old fisherman laughed heartily, "Dukang wine and perch head, let Brother Zhou enjoy this delicacy."

"We'll see," Zhou Yan said with a smile, while he himself was enjoying the scenery of Dongting Lake. He saw a bright moon rising from behind the mountains in the east, with light smoke and mist enveloping the vast blue waves, a sight of breathtaking beauty.

"Looking out over Dongting Lake, the mountains and waters are verdant, like a green snail in a silver dish. What a beautiful scene of lake and moon."

"Brother Zhou, you have such refined tastes, do you now understand the benefits of finding joy in nature?" said the Fisherman of Misty Waves.

It was already the tenth day after the battles of Funiu Mountain and Tongbai Mountain.

Zhou Yan spent two days practicing internal energy cultivation in the secluded valley of Funiu Mountain to heal his injuries completely. However, when Yanbo Diaosou visited Chaya Mountain, he learned that the Iron Palm Clan was expanding its influence in Jiangnan and that conflicts frequently occurred between the Manichaeism, White Lotus Clan, Iron Palm Clan, Five Poisons Clan, and Beggar Clan in western Hunan. Because he was thinking of Liu Qingzhou of Hengshan Sect, Zhou Yan did not linger and bid farewell to Yang Miaozhen, Zhang Wangyue, Lu Beihe, and others before heading south.

The two men took several jars of Luoyang Dukang wine, which Liu Qianfeng had collected, from the Tongbai Mountain stronghold, but they didn't take any of the ginseng or gold and silver mountain ginseng. However, Zhou Yan left the Xuan Tie Heavy Spear and the Ox Horn Giant Bow at the stronghold for the time being.

Firstly, it's too conspicuous; secondly, when wandering the martial world, a single Qingfeng sword is sufficient.

From Nanyang to Xiangyang, I traveled south by boat, bidding farewell to the colorful clouds in the morning and gazing at the moon over Dongting Lake at night.

The old angler in the misty waters didn't have to put in much effort to catch another bass that was over a foot long.

He never let anyone interfere with his cooking, allowing Zhou Yan to fully enjoy the process. He watched as the other man cleaned and cut the sea bass into pieces, marinating it with Shaoxing wine, Sichuan peppercorns, salt, and light soy sauce. He then tore a small amount of wood ear mushrooms into small pieces, blanched them in boiling water, and drained them. He pan-fried the marinated fish head and pieces until golden brown on both sides, added water, ginger slices, and garlic slices, and sautéed until fragrant. He then added the wood ear mushrooms and simmered until the sauce thickened and reduced. The braised sea bass, a dish bursting with color, aroma, and flavor, was ready.

Zhou Yu felt that Yanbo Diaosou's exquisite skill in preparing paper dishes was comparable to that of Huang Rong.

The fish meat was delicate and refreshing, and the Dukang wine was sweet and rich, giving Zhou Yan a feeling of "not knowing what day it is".

"Young man, Dukang wine and Dongting fish, why don't you call me an old beggar?" Suddenly, a voice came from the lakeside. Zhou Yan was startled. Hong Qigong, had he come because of the aroma?

He stood up and looked over. Hong Qigong, dressed in patched clothes and carrying a vermilion lacquered gourd, flew swiftly like a duck, lightly touching the lotus ripples on the water. After a few leaps, he landed on the light boat.

"Long time no see, Seventh Master."

The old fisherman admired Hong Qigong and said politely, "This old fisherman greets Chief Hong."

"Don't be shy, have a seat."

Hong Qigong, without any hesitation, sat cross-legged, sniffed the wine jar, and laughed, "Surrounded by three mountains, with a hundred springs gushing forth, the wine is clear and blue. This is the authentic Dukang wine from Luoyang Jiuquan."

"Seventh Master has good insight."

Zhou Yan added bowls and chopsticks, and Hong Qigong drank the wine first and then tasted the fish, laughing loudly: "A thousand perch and a hundred bushels of wine, lying down amidst the wine on the green South Mountain. How delightful, how delightful!"

The old fisherman was delighted to receive praise for his skills from Hong Qigong.

Zhou Yan asked, "How did you get to Yuezhou, Seventh Master?"

Hong Qigong devoured a fish head in a whirlwind and said, "It's not peaceful here in Yuezhou. The Iron Palm Clan, the White Lotus Sect, and the Manichaeism are constantly clashing, and many beggars from the Beggar Clan have been dragged into it. It's a real headache; I've been here a lot lately."

Zhou Yan suddenly realized that this made perfect sense.

"Boy, I heard you injured the leader of the White Lotus Sect."

"Does Master Qi know about this?"

Hong Qigong glared, “How many bandits escaped from Funiu Mountain? At least several hundred have joined the White Lotus Sect.”

"So that's how it is." Zhou Yan realized belatedly, but it wasn't surprising. When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; it's a normal outcome that the escaped bandits would be taken in by gangs of all sizes. With Yu Huacheng escaping, many people must have followed him.

He smiled and replied to Hong Qigong, "I also took a palm strike from Yu Huacheng, the leader of the White Lotus Cult, and it took me several days to recover."

"You're quite something, kid. You've fought against people like Qiu Qianren and Yu Huacheng, whom even the old beggar has never encountered."

"Enemies always meet on a narrow road."

"Well, you've got guts. Not only did you survive, but you've also gotten stronger with each fight. I think in twenty years, you'll be vying for the title of number one in the world."

Instead of talking about making a name for himself, Hong Qigong now says that Zhou Yan has the ability to compete for the title of the best in the world in twenty years.

"It won't take twenty years," said the old fisherman.

Hong Qigong was not annoyed by the differing opinions. "That makes sense. I told this kid that he would become one of the top figures in the world in twenty years. In just three years, he has already made a name for himself on Shaoshi Mountain." Zhou Yan smiled and said, "I never care about my ranking in the world when I practice martial arts. In this life, I will take revenge if I want to take revenge, fight if I want to fight, and draw my sword if I see injustice on the road."

"When the old beggar first met you, you said, 'I'd risk my life in the midst of blades, and kill in the mortal world.' You're believable, but the old poisoner would definitely say you're talking big."

“Yes.” Zhou Yan laughed. In the world of Legend of the Condor Heroes, the people who cared most about empty fame were Ouyang Feng and Qiu Qianren.

"Are you escorting goods to Yuezhou?"

"I no longer work for the security escort agency."

"Well, it's better not to be a bodyguard. I can just wander the world like an old beggar."

"Seventh Master, have a drink." Zhou Yan smiled. In the martial world, one is often not in control of one's own destiny. He poured wine for Hong Qigong.

"Done," said the Fisherman of the Misty Waves.

Zhou Yan and others were not the only ones raising their glasses to invite the bright moon.

Yueyang Tower is famous throughout the world, and the Dongting Lake stretches for eight hundred miles, a place of extraordinary beauty.

Every now and then, the sounds of flutes and pipes, and the laughter of orioles, drifted from the slowly moving flower boats.

The large ship, its lights shining, moved slowly across the lake. On the spacious deck, a table was laden with food and wine, and more than a dozen people sat around it.

The young man in the center was dressed in fine clothes, with red lips and white teeth; he was none other than Yang Kang. Seated in order of seniority were Qiu Qianren, Gongsun Zhi, Helian Chuncheng, Nimo Xing, and others.

The man sitting next to Yang Kang was over fifty years old, with a sharp gaze. He wore a blue robe and a square scarf of the same color on his head, and looked like a scholar.

Five or six more people sat beside the man.

Helian Chuncheng raised his cup and said, "When I visited Manager Zhang in Lin'an Prefecture in the past, Chief Escort Jiang was not there and I did not get to meet him, which I regret. Now that I have met Chief Escort Jiang, my long-cherished wish has been fulfilled. I respectfully toast Chief Escort Jiang."

Zhou Yan, having traveled through time, was escorting a message back to Zhongdu from Datong Prefecture. Hu Yanlei hosted a banquet for him, and while they were drinking at the "Songhelou" restaurant, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) from Fu'an mentioned the镖局 (escort agency/escort service), saying that while there were countless镖局 in the world, the Longmen镖局 in Lin'an was the most renowned, and its chief镖师, Jiang Kui, was no less skilled in martial arts than the Northern Beggar and the Southern Emperor. When Yang Kang, the imperial envoy, arrived in Lin'an, Helian Chuncheng and Nimo Xing happened to be visiting the Longmen镖局 and had a pleasant conversation. Zhang Wangyue also visited the Longmen镖局 during this time, but did not get to meet the chief镖师, Jiang Kui.

After carefully considering the conversation between the two people at the table, it's not hard to guess that the other person is Jiang Kui, whom Hu Yanlei mentioned.

Helian Chuncheng raised his glass, and Yang Kang smiled and said, "I am very grateful for the generous hospitality I received from the Longmen Escort Agency when I arrived in Lin'an. I would also like to toast Chief Escort Jiang."

"Your Highness is too kind," Jiang Kui said, raising his cup.

Amidst the clinking of glasses and the lively conversation, a young镖头 (bodyguard/escort) from the Longmen镖局 (escort agency) suddenly fixed his gaze on the man on the light boat not far away as the large ship passed by.

He made a quick identification, his expression turning mocking.

"I saw an enemy, that arrogant brat who shot an arrow at my Longmen Escort Agency's flag in the outskirts of Xiangyang." The young escort leader stood up and walked to the bow of the boat.

Yang Kang looked over, his expression slightly stunned. It was Zhou Yan, and Hong Qigong.

However, in an instant, Yang Kang's expression returned to normal.

The young镖头 (bodyguard/escort) grabbed a bow, drew it, and nocked an arrow.

"Boy, do you remember the grudge of those three arrows?"

"Boom, bang, bang..."

The bowstring twangs with a thunderous thud, and three arrows fly in quick succession, chasing the stars.

Zhou Yan followed the sound, and the long arrow, piercing through the moonlight, had already enlarged.

The instant his chopsticks reached out to catch the arrow, his wrist flicked and sank, dissipating the force from the arrowhead. He then sprang up and caught two more arrows with both hands.

Because of the angle, Zhou Yan couldn't see Yang Kang and the others, but he couldn't just accept the provocation from the young man at the bow of the boat.

"Take the arrows back."

Zhou Yan placed the three long arrows flat on his palm, arrowheads facing outwards, and flicked the fletching with his right middle finger. With three soft clanging sounds, the long arrows shot out, even more powerfully and rapidly than those fired from a strong bow, as if they were shot out simultaneously.

The large ships and light boats were only a few feet apart, stopping in an instant.

Three years ago, the young镖头 (bodyguard/escort) was no match for Zhou Yan; now, the difference is like night and day.

The head slinger felt his hair stand on end and his hands and feet turn ice-cold. How could he possibly dodge three arrows fired simultaneously?

(End of this chapter)