The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 27 Enemies Meet in Zhongdu

The outline of practicing the freehand techniques in the Yue Family Boxing Manual mentions that one should have strong arms, a healthy body, and sharp eyes.

Zhou Yan possesses all three elements.

Therefore, when facing off against Lu the镖师 (bodyguard/escort), his eyes could always accurately capture the changes in the opponent's iron spear technique, and the two stone locks in his hands were as if they were nothing, and he could throw them out, flipping them up and down.

At first glance it looks like a hammer, but upon closer inspection it resembles a cymbal.

Zhou Yan didn't know any stone lock kung fu. He just aimed at the spearhead and said, "You can be as tough as you want, but I'll just swing the lock to smash the spearhead."

In the instant of fierce exchange of blows, the sound of hammers clashing with iron in a blacksmith's shop resounded throughout the arena.

Lu, the bodyguard, was so enraged by the attack that his liver flared up and his heart was consumed by the rage.

I've never seen such a shameless fighting style before, yet it's somehow been countered.

Hu Yanlei was also a skilled spearman among the镖人 (bodyguards/escorts). He was dumbfounded, thinking that if he were Lu the镖师 (bodyguard/escort), he would definitely be overwhelmed by Zhou Yan's indiscriminate attacks.

It's easier said than done.

Zhou Yan was skilled in archery and possessed excellent dynamic vision. For anyone else, capturing the unpredictable trajectory of Lu Biaoshi's masterful spear technique would be extremely difficult. Furthermore, the stone lock required perfect control; otherwise, one would be too slow to react and end up being pierced through the heart.

In just a few dozen breaths, the spear and the pair of stone locks clashed more than ten times. The force transmitted from the stone locks made Lu the镖师's arms go numb. Zhou Yan roared and stomped forward, his feet landing on the ground and leaving several clear footprints in the dust. The stone locks were used from both sides, and in the blink of an eye, they broke Lu the镖师's advantage of being an inch longer and stronger.

Lu the镖师 retreated swiftly, with Zhou Yan following closely behind. The spear that had been pulled back landed on the ground, then suddenly sprang up with a snap, piercing Zhou Yan's abdomen.

"What a brilliant 'Phoenix Nods'!" The guards from the Four Seas Escort Agency cheered thunderously.

The next moment, Zhou Yan held the stone lock in his right hand to block in front of him. He leaned forward, his waist bent like a bow, and from a distance, he looked like a flying crane. In a flash, the spear pierced the handle of the stone lock.

Zhou Yan chuckled.

Lu the镖师's face turned deathly pale.

The stone lock had a handle; the spearhead went through it and was locked in place.

If Cui Qingshan, the镖师 (bodyguard/escort) from the Fu'an镖局 (escort agency) who went to Sichuan, were still there, he would recognize that Zhou Yan's move was extremely similar to his own Iron Abacus Lock weapon technique.

Hu Yanlei saw it clearly and hurriedly asked Wang Kui beside him, "Do you think Brother Zhou's move is similar to Cui Qingshan's Iron Abacus move?"

Wang Kui said, "It's not just similar, it's practically the student surpassing the master."

In the course of their conversation, the situation on the field suddenly changed. Zhou Yan locked Lu the镖师's spear, and the stone lock slid horizontally along the spear shaft.

Lu, the镖师 (bodyguard/escort), had no choice but to abandon his spear, otherwise he would be struck in the chest by a stone lock weighing more than ten kilograms.

The bodyguards from all corners of the world immediately abandoned their guns and leaped backward.

Zhou Yan pushed the stone lock in his hand all the way down, and it flew towards Lu the镖师 (bodyguard/escort), who was holding a large spear in his right hand.

With the gun barrel behind him, Zhou Yan suddenly twisted his body, gripping the gun with both hands. In that instant, he was upright and the gun was in perfect alignment. He then suddenly turned his body again, and the sharp edge of the iron gun pierced out.

Back carbine!
Lu, the镖师 (bodyguard/escort), hurriedly dodged the stone lock, and the broad spearhead silently swept across the distance of ten feet to appear at his chest.

Huyan Leiduo was excited, as this was a spontaneous demonstration he had given while drinking snake soup in the Zhou family courtyard.

Brilliant! Stone lock snatches spear, turns the horse around and strikes, using their own methods against them.

"Brother Zhou, you have excellent marksmanship."

"Bravo!" The cheers from the guards of Fu'an Escort Agency were thunderous.

Zhang Wangyue couldn't help but say, "Adaptability is commendable. Excellent, very good."

The owner, Duan Huai'an, was in high spirits, as the young man who had only recently been promoted to镖师 (bodyguard/escort) had won the shipment.

Zhou Yan is the future of the镖局 (bodyguard agency).

Lu, the bodyguard, stared at the large spear gleaming coldly on his chest, his face ashen.

Mr. Lü was mesmerized, exclaiming, "What excellent marksmanship!"

He had no idea that Zhou Yan had only practiced this one move.

After Lu Shangke finished speaking, he looked at Sihai Dongjia: "Manager Lei, can we still have a third round?"

Lei Luo said irritably, "The outcome is already decided, there's no need to continue."

"Okay, there's plenty of time in the future, and we'll have the opportunity to cooperate."

"Of course!" Duan Huai'an cupped his hands and said to Lei Luo, "Thank you for your kind offer!"

Sihai Dongjia murmured, "Fu'an has a phoenix chick."

Duan Huai'an smiled slightly, but was indeed wary. He thought to himself, "Could it be that you've taken a liking to Zhou Yan and want to recruit him? I'll give Zhou Yan a raise when I get back." With that thought in mind, he changed the subject: "A banquet will be held at Songhelou at noon. Would you do me the honor of joining us, Manager Lu?"

"Definitely!" said Mr. Lü.

The two escort agencies' guards got into a fight over a disagreement, but as the head of the agency, Lei Luo wouldn't just abandon his post because of a lost shipment. He was unwilling to accept it and said, "It would be disrespectful to refuse."

The two owners, Mr. Lü, and others got up and left first. Zhou Yan walked towards the area where the guards of Fu'an Escort Agency were watching the battle. After a few steps, he stopped, squatted down, and picked up the iron ring that had fallen to the ground.

The ring fell to the ground when he broke Su the镖师's finger.

He wrapped the ring in a handkerchief and put it in his pocket. Only then did he walk towards Huyan Lei and the others who had come to greet him.

……

Zhou Yan returned to the escort agency surrounded by admirers.

He had just washed his face with water when a porter ran over and said the manager was looking for him.

Zhou Yan took a towel to wipe her face, then walked through the corridor and into the hall.

Besides the manager, Zhang Wangyue was also present.

The owner said, "You've done a great job upholding the prestige of the escort agency."

"It is thanks to the guidance of the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) and other镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) that I have such skills."

"Don't be arrogant or impatient." After praising you, the manager said, "The master has said that your monthly salary will be increased to eight taels from now on."

"Thank you, boss and manager."

"Alright, go back and prepare well. We'll be going on a delivery mission in a few days."

"Got it."

Zhou Yan bowed and left the hall.

The news of his two consecutive victories and the successful escort missions for the escort agency had spread. Along the way, he received a constant stream of congratulations from the escorts and servants. These were all sincere wishes. The escort agency's profits meant a generous year-end bonus, which was a matter of livelihood, so he was grateful to Zhou Yan.

As Cui Changshun listened to the bodyguard's vivid description at the martial arts arena, he saw Zhou Yan approaching. His jealousy flared, and he cursed inwardly:
"The petty man has gained power; just wait and see."

……

After the banquet at Songhelou Restaurant, Merchant Lü busied himself with purchasing. The mules and horses had already been ordered, and they could be driven from the horse ranch in the suburbs when he went to Fu'an to escort the goods.

As dusk fell, the major merchants of Zhongdu sent their employees to deliver goods, mainly medicinal herbs and furs, as well as a small amount of spices from the Western Regions.

There were more than ten vehicles.

Soon after, the merchant Lu arrived. The purchasing would continue for another day or two. The goods that arrived first were checked and verified by the other party, the owner, and Zhang Wangyue. After going through these procedures, Zhou Yan and Hu Yanlei, along with their porters, loaded the goods into the cargo box and sealed it.

It was customary to arrange for someone to watch over the goods in the evening, since most of the镖师 (bodyguards) and 趟子手 (transporters) of the镖局 (escort agency) were out on镖 (escort missions), so the task of night watch fell to Zhou Yan and others.

However, Hu Yanlei, Wang Kui, and others said that Zhou Yan had fought two fierce battles in Sihai that morning and was busy packing goods after returning, so they refused to let him stand guard at night.

Zhou Yan accepted the other party's kind offer, rested for one night, and would not have to watch the escort the following night. He would replace Hu Yanlei and Wang Kui then.

He changed into his own clothes, bid farewell to everyone, and left the security company to walk home along the street.

Night had fallen, and the lights of countless homes painted a unique, luminous scene on the city streets. The long streets were bustling with people.

As Zhou Yan walked forward, his pupils suddenly contracted. He saw two handsome young men strolling together on the street ahead, and the one on the left was none other than Ouyang Ke.

Enemy road is narrow.

He turned and left.

Ouyang Ke felt that the man's back looked familiar. After a moment's recollection, he recognized him as the wild boy who had ambushed him before.

He laughed and tapped his left palm with his right folding fan. "Young Prince, please wait a moment. I'm going to see an acquaintance."

Zhou Yan wasn't sure if the other party had seen him, so just in case, he took out the iron ring he had obtained from Master Su and put it on his middle finger.

(End of this chapter)