The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 277 Good people are always blessed by heaven

The clear midday view was quickly obscured by dark clouds, and torrential rain fell from the sky like a broken beaded curtain, colliding and splashing into a misty white fog.

"No need to stand guard in this weather, come in and have some hot tea," Zhang Wangyue said to the two guards as he appeared at the gate of the Fu'an Escort Agency.

"Alright, thank you, Chief Escort."

As the three were about to enter the escort agency, the rapid sound of horses' hooves approached. Zhang Wangyue instinctively turned around.

A sleek green horse galloped through the rain, slowing down as it approached. On its back sat a woman wearing a straw hat and a raincoat.

"Is Chief Escort Zhou here?" The woman's voice rang out as the sound of horses' hooves faded.

The two men in charge of the game both felt at the same time that the woman in blue spoke in a delicate and soft voice that could melt one's bones.

"Is the young lady looking for Zhou Yan, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort)?" Zhang Wangyue asked.

"Ok!"

"The rain is coming down hard, let's talk in the guest room first."

"Thank you very much"

The woman dismounted and the servant stepped forward, saying, "Miss, I will take care of this horse."

"Okay, thanks, bro."

The porter chuckled inwardly, thinking to himself that the girl who was looking for Chief Escort Zhou had a pleasant voice, a kind and generous personality, and was really easy to get along with.

"Girl please."

Zhang Wangyue led the way, with the woman following. The two entered the escort agency and went to their guest room, where a porter followed closely behind, bringing them steaming hot tea.

The woman thanked him, removed her straw hat, and revealed a beautiful face with bright eyes, white teeth, fair skin, and rosy cheeks to the chief镖头 (bodyguard/escort) of the Fu'an镖局 (escort agency).

Zhang Wangyue thought to himself that she had a beautiful face, and asked, "What is your name, young lady, and where are you from?"

"Li Mochou came from Zhongnan Mountain."

Zhang Wangyue suddenly recalled the scene of Zhou Yan twice traveling thousands of miles alone to Zhongnan Mountain, and thought to himself, could it be that he was looking for this woman? If so, their relationship must be very close.

"So you are Miss Li. Is there something urgent you need to see Chief Escort Zhou?"

Li Mochou immediately became alert. "Is this the Fu'an Escort Agency?"

Zhang Wangyue, with his extensive experience in the martial world, said kindly, "Miss Li, there's no need to be so cautious. The reason I asked this is because Chief Escort Zhou has resigned from his position and is no longer with the escort agency."

"Ah!" Li Mochou exclaimed in surprise, "Where does he live?"

"They are not currently in Zhongdu either."

"Do you know where we're going?" Li Mochou asked hurriedly.

"Western Hunan".

"Do you know when I will return?"

"uncertain."

Li Mochou immediately began to plan. When she descended the mountain, she told her master that waiting for several months wasn't a solution; perhaps a trip to western Hunan would be convenient, a round trip would take just the right amount of time.

"If the young lady has urgent business, the escort agency can try to find Chief Escort Zhou."

Li Mochou smiled and said, "Thank you, but don't bother. I'm going to Xiangxi."

"The young lady has no clue, how should she search?"

"Just tell me, that's all."

"We might not be able to find it. The escort agency has arranged for people to search for it. It would be better for the young lady to wait in Zhongdu."

"It's alright," Li Mochou insisted.

Like Miss Huang, they are both extremely opinionated people, Zhang Wangyue initially concluded.

“But the journey south is not peaceful, with bandits and gang fights. Even if Chief Escort Zhou knew, he would not approve of the young lady’s actions, as she was traveling alone.”

"And why are you so concerned?"

"Zhou, the镖头 (bodyguard), is my brother. My name is Zhang Wangyue."

"So it's Brother Zhang, my apologies." Li Mochou lowered her guard, her voice gentle and respectful, without any pretense. "Don't worry about me. Although my martial arts are not as good as Chief Escort Zhou's, I am still no match for ordinary martial arts masters."

Zhang Wangyue thought for a moment and said, "That's fine. Brother Zhou should be in the Yuezhou-Hengyang area right now. When you arrive in Xiangxi, you can look for Dongting Yanbo Diaosou or Liu Qingzhou of the Hengshan Sect. If you need anything along the way, you can also go to Tongbai Mountain, Funiu Mountain stronghold or the Beggars' Sect and mention Brother Zhou's name."

"Okay." Li Mochou got up and took her bamboo hat.

"Young lady, there's no rush. Arrange an inn with the escort agency; we can leave after the rain stops."

"It's better to act than to wait."

"I'll take the girl home."

Zhang Wangyue saw her off, and when Li Mochou arrived at the gate of the escort agency, the escorts had already brought her horse over.

"Once we find Chief Escort Zhou, we will thank Brother Zhang for his kindness when we arrive in Zhongdu."

"Miss Li, please don't be so polite."

"goodbye!"

"Take care along the way."

Li Mochou mounted her horse, its hooves clattering as it charged into the rain and mist. She thought to herself, "Brother Zhang is truly enthusiastic." Once she reached Xiangxi, if she couldn't find Chief Escort Zhou, she would inquire with the Beggars' Sect. Xiangxi, Zhongdu; south of the sky, north of the earth—Li Mochou rode her horse through Jiangnan.

……

A misty rain falls over Zhongdu, while the sky over western Hunan is clear and blue.

"Seventh Master, I will come to see you again after I travel north from Hengyang."

The sun shone warmly, and Zhou Yan saw me off.

Hong Qigong shook his wine gourd, which contained herbal wine brewed by the Immortal of Herbs. Although it was not a strong liquor, it had the effect of nourishing the internal organs and blood for Hong Qigong at that moment.

“No need.” Hong Qigong carried the vermilion lacquered gourd on his back. “The old beggar’s whereabouts are unpredictable. When you went north from Hengyang, I was craving wine and went to Luoyang to drink Dukang, or I went to Zhongdu to see Lu Youjiao. Don’t let the old beggar change your plans.”

"That's okay too."

"Give this manuscript to the old man. This old beggar can't afford to owe anyone a favor, otherwise he'll have something on his mind and won't be able to live a carefree life." Hong Qigong handed a handwritten book to Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan knew there were martial arts manuals inside, but he didn't bother to look at them; that was just Hong Qigong's personality. Having lived two lives, Zhou Yan also found it hard to understand why Hong Qigong, who had a life-or-death feud with Ouyang Feng in the Legend of the Condor Heroes and The Return of the Condor Heroes, didn't deliberately seek revenge, and ultimately managed to let bygones be bygones with a smile at Mount Hua. Because of his gluttony, he adhered to the rule of not being allowed to beg for a living in the Beggars' Sect's Dirty Clothes Faction, which created a persistent conflict between the two factions, which was only suppressed by Hong Qigong's prestige.

However, Hong Qigong's leisurely life, chivalrous nature, upright conduct, and carefree demeanor—like a wild goose or a majestic dragon—are admirable qualities.

"Let's go, kid." Hong Qigong waved his hand, rode away, and departed. This time, he no longer used his movement technique, which made him seem like a dragon soaring through the sky, unlike the previous encounters in Zhongdu.

Perhaps this single variable will significantly alter Qi Gong's state of mind, Zhou Yan thought to himself.

Zhou Yan returned to the bamboo hut and saw the Herb Immortal sorting medicinal herbs.

All the medicine boys in the valley perished, and the old fisherman on the misty waves still needs to take medicinal meals to nourish his body. These things can only be done by the immortal himself.

"Given to the Immortal by Chief Hong."

The Herbalist was taken aback. He took the booklet, flipped through it, and exclaimed in surprise, "It's a set of techniques called 'Free and Easy Wandering'!"

Zhou Yan laughed, this set of techniques really matches the immortal appearance of the Herbalist.

"That's the kind of person Qi Gong is. I once got some Yu Shan for him at the Lin'an Imperial Palace, and he also taught me martial arts techniques."

"But I still feel unworthy of it. Seventh Master was able to recover thanks to your healing power."

Zhou Yan didn't mention the life-extending effects of the snow ginseng, but said, "When you're with Master Qi, just don't flatter him."

"That's fine."

"Why don't we go to Hengyang together? Liu Qingzhou is quite a remarkable person."

The Immortal Herbs said happily, "Alright, since all my disciples are going to the West, staying here will only remind me of the past. It's good for me to go out for a walk. If you are in a hurry to get to Hengyang, you can set off tomorrow. I will prepare medicinal meals to take care of the old fisherman along the way, so there is no need to worry."

"Okay!"

Throughout the day, Zhou Yan helped the Herbalist sort medicinal herbs and prepare food for the journey. As dusk approached, he caught a roe deer in the valley and brought it back.

The old fisherman could walk on his own now, but he was still very weak. He sat on a bamboo chair, watching Zhou Yan busy peeling and roasting animals, his hands itching to do the same.

"Why don't you come over and give it a try? I know you're particular about food," Zhou Yan suddenly said.

"Brother Zhou understands me best." The Fisherman of the Misty Waves laughed heartily and got up to walk over.

"Is the Immortal Herbs here? Liu Qingzhou from Hengshan pays his respects." The voice coming from the valley entrance was so unreal that Zhou Yan was stunned. The Fisherman of Misty Waves shook his head, feeling as if it were an illusion.

Perhaps waiting for a reply, the voice said again: "Is the Immortal Herbs here? I am Liu Qingzhou from Hengshan, a friend of Zhou Yan, the head镖师 (bodyguard) of the Fu'an Escort Agency in Zhongdu."

The herbalist, who was brewing medicine, came out of the bamboo hut, looked at the still surprised Zhou Yan and the fisherman of the misty waves, and said with his inner strength: "I am here, and so is Zhou Yan, the head镖师 (bodyguard) of Zhongdu."

The voices from the valley entrance fell completely silent for a long while before saying, "The old immortal is quite humorous."

Zhou Yan and the Fisherman of Misty Waves laughed together. After a long while, Zhou Yan finally spoke with his inner strength, as swift as thunder, "Brother Liu, go around the woods at the valley entrance and enter the valley on your own. I will pour wine and wait for you."

Zhou Yan completely silenced Liu Qingzhou.

……

The campfire crackled and popped in the afterglow of the sunlight, carrying smoke and dust.

The four sat around the fire pit.

Liu Qingzhou ate meat and drank wine, saying, "I had nothing to do in Hengshan, and I heard that the Manichaeism and White Lotus Sect were fighting fiercely in Yuezhou, and even the Beggars' Sect was involved, so I thought I'd go and watch the excitement."

Zhou Yan smiled, clearly worried about the eccentric Fisherman of Yanbo.

"It's a pity we walked too slowly and missed the show." The old fisherman on the misty waves knew what the other person meant, but couldn't help but tease him.

Liu Qingzhou would not retort when Yanbo Diaosou was injured. "I happened to meet a group of people while passing through this county town. During their conversation, they mentioned Baicao Valley, the Immortal Elder, and Chief Hong. After listening carefully, I learned that they were members of the Five Poisons Sect. I remembered that Brother Zhou had mentioned the Immortal Elder, so I came to take a look."

Zhou Yan and the Fisherman of Misty Waves suddenly realized that Wuyou of the Hengshan Sect and Liu Qingzhou were on their way to Yuezhou when they passed through the county where Baicaogu was located and happened to encounter the escaped members of the Five Poisons Sect. Hearing that the group had been to Baicaogu, they were worried about the Immortal Elder and came to investigate.

"Thank you, young friend Liu." The Immortal of Herbs replied to Liu Qingzhou, then turned to Zhou Yan and said, "Since the Hengshan Sect is safe, how about we head to Dongting Lake? I'm still a little worried about Chief Hong."

“That suits me perfectly.” Zhou Yan said with satisfaction.

“That’s fine,” said the Fisherman of the Misty Waves.

During the meal, Zhou Yan briefly recounted his encounters with Hong Qigong, Huogong Toutuo, Qiu Qianren, and others in Yuezhou, the fierce battle at Yueyang Tower, the Five Poisons Sect's attempt to storm the valley, and their subsequent defeat. Liu Qingzhou listened with great excitement, deeply regretting that he had missed the opportunity to lend a helping hand.

After a hearty meal, the group didn't waste any time. The Herbalist brought more than ten doses of medicinal food, and Zhou Yan carried the Fisherman of Misty Waves to the valley entrance and put them into the carriage.

He turned and charged straight towards Yuezhou.

(End of this chapter)