The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 283 Huang Yaoshi is afflicted by the Love Flower, Qiu Qianchi is forced into marriage.
On an autumn morning, as the eastern sky began to lighten, milky white mist floated in the mountains and valleys.

Zhou Yan squatted by the stream, scooped up water to wash his face, and disappeared into the woods.

Not long after, he came out carrying two rabbits and a pheasant, and after a few leaps, he arrived at the cave with a campfire burning.

Four people and six horses could take turns riding, but even so, after traveling all night, it was time to stop and rest.

With a crackling sound of flames, the old fisherman in the misty waves took the prey. The pheasant could be used to make beggar's chicken, and the wild rabbit could be skinned, cleaned, and roasted directly. Zhou Yan sat cross-legged, closing his eyes to rest.

But as soon as he closed his eyes, all he could see in his mind were flashes of swords and shadows.

On Dongting Lake, Jiang Kui, the chief镖头 (bodyguard) of the Longmen镖局 (escort agency), had a sword shadow as vast as a net. The sword techniques shattered and then reassembled, then shattered again. In an instant, the sword energy method he had suddenly comprehended from the "Blue Sea Tide Song" appeared, followed by the eight secrets of the "Dog-Beating Stick Technique".

Jiang Kui's swordsmanship shocked Zhou Yan from the inside out. He had only just begun to grasp the sword energy techniques he had comprehended from "The Song of the Azure Sea Tide" and the same was true for "The Dog-Beating Stick Technique".

Zhou Yan never considered carrying another bamboo stick. He planned to integrate the insights he gained from Jiang Kui's swordsmanship, as well as the eight principles and sword energy techniques of his "Dog-Beating Stick Technique," into his swordsmanship.

He had been pondering this all along, but it was easier said than done. Even just incorporating the "sealing" technique from the "Dog-Beating Stick Technique" into swordsmanship was an extremely difficult task.

After much contemplation, he began meditating and practicing, and bizarre and fantastical scenes appeared in his mind.

If I could integrate the Qi-guiding method of "The Song of the Azure Sea" into my swordsmanship, how could I open up new meridian Qi pathways?
Zhou Yan fell into deep thought.

"Little friend..."

The voice of the old fisherman on the misty waters pulled Zhou Yan back to reality. He opened his eyes and saw that the wild rabbit and beggar's chicken were already roasted to perfection.

He sighed. Entering the world of martial arts felt like only a moment, but in reality, it had been the time it takes to eat a meal. Oh well, he decided to focus on rescuing Yang Miaozhen and Qiu Qianchi, and once they arrived at Funiu Mountain, he would go into seclusion to cultivate for a while, and incidentally practice the Nine Yang Manual to increase his internal strength by enhancing his Yang energy.

Zhou Yan accepted the rabbit leg delivered by the Fisherman of Misty Waves. While eating, he pondered how to enter the Valley of Heartbreak, rescue people, escape, and withdraw.

……

A sound of "Eh!" rang out from a hilltop dozens of miles away.

The morning breeze dispersed the thin mist, and looking down, the lush trees resembled surging jade. Huang Yaoshi and Huang Rong could see Huo Gong Toutuo, Baoshu, and Zhou Botong.

"Father, why is the Old Rascal with the Fire-Worker Monk?"

Huang Yaoshi was also slightly taken aback, finding the scene before him unbelievable.

He traveled north from Baicao Valley, accompanying Huang Rong to Snake Valley.

Even with his vast experience and knowledge, Huang Yaoshi was astonished by the countless large and small Bodhi snakes in Snake Valley. He had seen the Golden Scaled Poisonous Snake raised by the Medicine Boy and thought that such a snake should be very rare in Snake Valley. However, after going deeper into Snake Valley, he could see them from time to time.

However, Huang Yaoshi did not hunt the snakes relentlessly. He only took dozens of snake gallbladders for the two of them to eat, and then left Snake Valley to follow Huang Rong in search of the giant eagle.

After going around in circles, they bumped into the Fire-Worker Monk and the Old Rascal.

Firework Monk saw Ouyang Feng, Qiu Qianren and others leave from the riverside dock and hill. He followed the Western Poison's group, but the Old Urchin wouldn't let it go, saying that the battle was not over yet, and followed him like a shadow.

They happened to run into Huang Yaoshi.

"Father, the Fire-Worker Monk and the Old Urchin have gone to the Valley of Heartbreak. Shall we go and see them?" Huang Rong asked excitedly.
One person harbors resentment, the other is a friend. Huang Yaoshi smiled and nodded, "Alright!"

Huang Rong was overjoyed: "Rong'er will definitely listen to Father more from now on."

Huang Yaoshi smiled slightly, "Then I'll put more effort into practicing martial arts."

Huang Rong pouted.

Huang Yaoshi sighed, "The world is about to enter a period of flourishing martial arts and the emergence of many masters."

"No matter what, Father is still the number one person in the world."

"The Fire-Worker Monk, Master Kucheng, and Qiu Qianren are not much worse than me, and I imagine Ku Hui is the same. Especially the Fire-Worker Monk, who is exceptionally talented and a true martial arts prodigy. The new generation always replaces the old, and the Fire-Worker Monk's disciples are also quite remarkable. The Golden Wheel Monk and Zhang Sanqiang are in their prime, and there are even younger figures like Zhou Yan."

"And Rong'er too."

"Yes." Huang Yaoshi smiled and pulled Huang Rong forward.

When the sun was high in the sky, Zhou Yan, Liu Qingzhou, the Fisherman of Misty Waves, and the Herb Immortal led their well-rested horses and galloped towards the Valley of Heartbreak.

……

The bright moon shines in the sky, as people walk before the precipice.

Zhou Yan, familiar with the route, led the fisherman and the other two straight to the cliff where they had used ropes to descend when they arrived at the Valley of Heartbreak. The autumn moon was as round as a plate, allowing them to see the surrounding scenery clearly.

Wildflowers and grasses grow luxuriantly, giant trees reach for the sky, lush foliage and verdant branches—a truly beautiful scene.

"This Valley of Heartbreak can be considered a paradise on earth, its scenery is just as beautiful as Hundred Herbs Valley," said the Fisherman of Misty Waves.

“Old man, Hundred Herbs Valley is far inferior.” The herb master chuckled, then changed the subject, saying, “Such a place blessed by nature must have rare and precious herbs.”

“Indeed. We’ll know once the Immortal enters,” Zhou Yan replied.

After walking several miles along the cliff, they arrived at the top of the cliff where Zhou Yan had entered the valley with Huang Rong, Mei Chaofeng, and others.

Zhou Yan found a pine tree, tied a rope to it, and lowered himself down.

The last time he visited the Valley of Heartbreak was in early spring. Now, it was only autumn, and he looked around at the starkly different scene of lush greenery and vibrant flowers. Zhou Yan withdrew his gaze, shook the rope, and Liu Qingzhou, the Fisherman of Misty Waves, and the Herb Immortal descended. The four of them then meandered into the depths of the valley.

Ahead of Zhou Yan and the others, a small boat docked at the end of the stream that led directly to the Valley of Heartbreak. Huang Yaoshi and Huang Rong had already reached the depths of the Valley of Heartbreak along the mountain path.

It turned out that Qiu Qianren and his group had arrived, and the group was quite large. The disciples in the valley used small boats to ferry people back and forth, leaving many boats by the stream. Huang Rong had traveled by water once before and remembered the route. She and Huang Yaoshi were both experts at boating, and they entered the depths of the Valley of Heartbreak without breaking a sweat, following the route Zhou Yan had taken when he left the valley that day.

Huang Yaoshi found the scenery along the way to be beautiful and serene. Cranes strolled leisurely by the roadside, white deer frolicked, and squirrels and rabbits were undisturbed by people. He thought to himself, "What a rare and beautiful place!"

Suddenly he saw Huang Rong arrive at a strange tree.

"Father, this flower is amazing; it even smells faintly of wine."

As Huang Yaoshi walked by, he saw that the flowering tree was covered with small thorns, but the petals were incredibly beautiful, resembling a hibiscus but even more fragrant, and like a camellia but even more vibrant.

He was a man of great knowledge, but he had never heard of such a flowering tree. Huang Yaoshi was amazed and reached out to pick a flower.

"Father, be careful, there are thorns." Huang Rong reminded Huang Yaoshi, but he let out a slight "ah" as his little finger was pricked by a hidden thorn while picking flowers.

She smiled and didn't seem to care.

The small thorns hidden behind the flower pricked Huang Yaoshi, but he didn't care. He picked the flower, smelled it carefully, and put a petal into his mouth. It was sweet and fragrant, like honey, with a slight intoxicating aroma of wine. He felt refreshed and relaxed. After chewing a few more times, however, there was a bitter taste.

Huang Rong followed suit, initially enjoying the taste, but when the bitterness hit, she quickly stuck out her tongue and turned around to spit it out.

Huang Yaoshi was lost in thought, thinking of Feng Heng. Feng Heng was deeply devoted to his wife, and the trees and flowers around her grave on Peach Blossom Island were all carefully selected by Huang Yaoshi, among the finest varieties in the land. These trees were unique; if transplanted to Feng Heng's grave, she would surely love them. As Huang Yaoshi pondered this, he suddenly felt a sharp pain at the spot where he had pricked his finger. The wound was tiny, yet the pain was incredibly intense, as if he had been struck in the chest with a hammer.

Huang Yaoshi frowned and looked at Huang Rong.

"What's wrong, Father?"

"Has Rong'er been pricked by any thorns?"

"Yes."

"Do you feel anything unusual?"

"No."

The two exchanged a few words, and this moment of distraction caused the excruciating pain to come and go quickly. Huang Yaoshi secretly focused his energy, and his internal energy circulated without any abnormalities.

"How strange." Huang Yaoshi became even more curious about the flowering tree.

"Father is gone. The disciples' quarters are just ahead."

They would study it further before leaving. Huang Yaoshi followed Huang Rong.

……

A lotus-shaped oil lamp cast a dim, yellowish light onto Qiu Qianchi's face in the stone house. Her expression was as cold as water, and her gaze was fixed on Qiu Qianren with a clear, detached look.

Where is Yang Meizi?

"Don't worry, she's fine."

"I'm going to see her."

Qiu Qianren frowned: "Don't you think you should think about your own affairs first?"

"I have nothing to think about."

"The marriage with Master Gongsun," Qiu Qianren reminded him.

"I have already told Master Gongsun that we should each go our own way and not disturb each other from now on."

"This is outrageous! It was a proper marriage, they were just short of the wedding ceremony, and the Crown Prince even gave a gift in this Valley of Heartbreak."

"No, we're not married yet."

"Nonsense."

"On the contrary, my sister is very calm. Since leaving the Iron Palm Clan, I have been confused. Should I be a chivalrous hero, make a name for myself, or live an unknown life as a wife and mother? Now I finally have a clear idea and know which path to take."

"What way?"

"Resist the Jin dynasty."

"You bastard!" Qiu Qianren glared angrily.

"Second brother, don't be so stubborn."

"I think you've been bewitched." Qiu Qianren flicked his sleeves and put his hands behind his back, his face darkening. "Reflect on your actions and get married to Valley Master Gongsun in a few days. Valley Master Gongsun has traveled all over the country to find you. Where else in the world is there a person as loyal and righteous as him? Valley Master's appearance and martial arts skills are a perfect match for you."

"I swear I will never marry." Qiu Qianchi's voice was hoarse and resolute, as if it were squeezed out from the depths of her heart.

"It's up to you."

Qiu Qianren snorted heavily and turned to leave.

(End of this chapter)