The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 284 The feeling of heartache

Looking out from the skylight of the stone chamber, the silvery-gray night sky possessed a captivating beauty, but Yang Miaozhen's mood was extremely low.

The journey had been through desolate, uninhabited mountains and wilderness. This Valley of Heartbreak was like a secluded paradise, extremely difficult for outsiders to enter. It was all due to his own carelessness that he not only found himself in a desperate situation but also dragged Qiu Qianchi into trouble. If he hadn't insisted on dragging Qiu Qianchi to the inn at the riverside market to inquire about the situation, none of this would have happened.

Yang Miaozhen then thought of Tongbai Mountain and Dazhai in Funiu Mountain.

With himself gone for so long, the village is leaderless, and I don't know what's going on in the village.

If someone like Brother Zhou or Chief Escort Zhang were in the stronghold, we could feel at ease. Otherwise, although the stronghold may seem to have a large and powerful population, without any experts in charge, if someone like Yu Hua were to come, chaos would inevitably ensue.

The more Yang Miaozhen thought about it, the more she felt that the two strongholds lacked the ability to cope with a crisis. In the past, there were many strongholds in Chaya Mountain with a force of a thousand or so people, and the Jin and Song dynasties would not take the initiative to attack and suppress them. They could be away for ten days, half a month, or even longer without any worries. But now, the two strongholds had more than ten thousand people, including those who voluntarily stayed behind. Such a force was enough to attract the attention of the Jin dynasty. Moreover, the White Lotus Sect still had its eyes on the two strongholds.

Yang Miaozhen then realized that the counterfeit management model she had built on her prestige was riddled with flaws. There wasn't a single person who could take on the responsibility should something happen to her.

Thinking about it this way, it's hard not to get distracted.

At that moment, the sound of unhurried footsteps approached from outside.

With a creak, Yang Kang pushed the door open and entered.

Yang Miaozhen stared intently at the other person.

The two became acquainted.

Before the Mongol army besieged Zhongdu, Yang Miaozhen and Mu Nianci saw Yang Kang escorting Helian Zhantai back to the escort agency at the entrance of Changfeng Escort Agency. At that time, he was still the young prince of the Jin Kingdom.

From a rational perspective, Yang Miaozhen felt that compared to the past, Yang Kang's eyes had lost some of their former wit and shrewdness, but gained more maturity and composure.

"Long time no see." Yang Kang sat down in front of Yang Miaozhen. "Should I call you Chief Yang or Miss Yang?"

Yang Kang guessed Yang Miaozhen's identity.

All of this stems from a change in status.

As the crown prince of the Jin Dynasty, he devoted himself to assisting Wanyan Honglie, winning over the Iron Palm Gang and the Dragon Gate Escort Agency, preparing for the Jin Dynasty's southward advance, and also planning to deal with the anti-Jin forces active in the Jin-Song border area, either by winning them over or by encircling and annihilating them.

The name of Hong Niangzi is renowned. Dressed in red and wielding a spear that rains down like pear blossoms, she is easily recognizable. Yang Kang had long been paying attention to the anti-Jin forces, and after a little deliberation, he was able to figure it out. However, he did not know Yang Miaozhen's exact current whereabouts.

When Yang Kang asked this, Yang Miaozhen's eyebrows slowly rose and gradually sharpened. "Should I call you Yang Kang or Wanyan Kang?"

Yang Kang was not surprised by Yang Miaozhen's question. It was not surprising that she knew his identity, given her connections with Mu Nianci and Fu'an.

"It is Yang Kang."

Yang Kang asked with a smile, "After my mother left Zhongdu, was she settled in your mountain stronghold?"

"Yes."

Thank you for your care.

Yang Miaozhen remained silent, waiting for Yang Kang to speak later.

How is my mother these days?

"Get straight to the point, don't beat around the bush. You came here to talk to me about these things."

"Then let's get straight to the point. Chief Yang, are you willing to work for me?" Yang Kang smiled gently. "There's no rush to answer. You can consider it at your leisure. The Lin'an court is corrupt and incompetent, and the people are living in dire straits. If the Jin Kingdom is no match for the Mongols, then the Mongols will become another Jin Kingdom. If the Jin Kingdom wins, I will be the emperor in the future, the Han Chinese emperor of the Jin Kingdom. The Jin Kingdom under my rule will be far more enlightened than the Lin'an court. In fact, the Jin soldiers' acts of burning, killing, and looting have decreased significantly in the Jin Kingdom's territory, and this is all related to me."

Yang Kang got up and walked outside. "Don't worry, no one will hurt you. Chief Yang is a wise and opinionated person. Consider it carefully. There is no greater merit in the world than following a dragon."

"Creak!" The wooden door closed, and Yang Kang's footsteps faded away.

Yang Miaozhen walked to the stone window and saw the Iron Palm Gang disciples guarding outside.

"What a high-sounding excuse. If it were Brother Guo, he would probably believe it." Yang Miaozhen sneered, walked to the stone bed, sat cross-legged, and tried to circulate her qi. She felt a sharp pain in the "Tian Tu" acupoint, where the Yin Wei and Ren meridians meet, and her internal qi dissipated.

She sighed. There was no hope of releasing the pressure points on her own. She wondered how Qiu Qianchi was doing now.
Yang Kang walked on, passing through lush bamboo groves, a refreshing fragrance wafting towards him, and before him stretched an endless expanse of daffodils. Ouyang Ke was watching the moon from a pavilion by the pond.

"Sir, what a refined taste you have." Yang Kang stepped forward with a smile.

Ouyang Ke said with distress, "I don't want to stay here for even a day longer."

"Why?"

"Vegetarian food and plain water, how can anyone enjoy it?"

"It does take some getting used to."

"What did Miss Yang say?"

Yang Kang said, "I'll let her think about it. Before that, please don't disturb her, sir."

Ouyang Ke laughed heartily, "I like beauty but not violence, so please rest assured, Your Highness. Besides, one must be patient with such a wild rose-like person."

"Insightful words." "The Crown Prince shouldn't have several lovers."

Yang Kang sat down on the bamboo stool next to Ouyang Ke and said, "I haven't met anyone I like yet."

"Tell me what kind of woman the Crown Prince likes, and I'll abduct her for you."

Yang Kang chuckled, "National affairs come first."

Ouyang Ke laughed. Behind them, a gray figure moved silently, like a wild goose flying across the night sky, landing in the bamboo forest. After a few turns, he arrived at the stone house where Yang Miaozhen was imprisoned.

Zhou Yan wasted no time upon entering the Valley of Heartbreak and went straight to the stone chamber where Gongsun Zhi had imprisoned Liang Xiaowu. On the way, he saw Ouyang Ke and Yang Kang, listened carefully, and overheard their conversation.

Liu Qingzhou, Yanbo Diaosou, and Baicao Xianweng waited in the bamboo forest while Zhou Yan rescued the people.

……

Zhou Yan's figure appeared and disappeared in the night, silently appearing in front of the stone house where Yang Miaozhen was imprisoned.

"Hiss, hiss"

Two stones were launched using the "Finger Flicking Divine Skill" technique. With two "bang" sounds, the Iron Palm Gang disciples were hit in their pressure points and collapsed to the ground with muffled groans.

Yang Miaozhen's acupoints were sealed, preventing her from circulating her internal energy, but her hearing remained exceptional. She noticed a strange noise outside and hurriedly went to the window to look. With the creaking sound of the door opening, Zhou Yan walked in.

"Brother Zhou!" Yang Miaozhen exclaimed in surprise.
"it's me."

“You really are my good brother.” Yang Miaozhen changed the subject and said, “Sister Qiu and I encountered Ouyang Feng, Qiu Qianren and others at the dock on the Xiangyang River, and were captured here. How did you know that, Brother Zhou?”

"I saw the chestnut horse by the street and recognized it as your mount. Then I found out that you and Miss Qiu had fought with someone, and I guessed that you were captured here."

"So that's how it is. I've been acupunctured. Once I circulate my internal energy, my 'Tian Tu' acupoint suddenly hurts."

"I'll release the acupoints." Zhou Yan's main focus was on practicing the "Acupoint Striking Chapter" and "Acupoint Release Chapter" of the Nine Yin Manual, so Qiu Qianren's acupoint striking techniques were no challenge for him.

According to Yang Miaozhen's account, he quickly pressed several major acupoints on the Yinwei and Ren meridians.

"Alright!" Yang Miaozhen was overjoyed that her internal energy was circulating smoothly.

"Sister Qiu and Gongsun Zhi have no connection anymore. If you fight with the people in the valley, Brother Zhou, don't hold back."

"I know, go find Miss Qiu."

……

The wind blows across the valley, shaking the ancient, leafy trees and scattering dappled sunlight across the ground.

Huang Rong, dressed in a white dress, sat on a tree branch as thick as an arm, her bright eyes watching the scene before her. When the wind blew, her clothes fluttered in the wind, and at first glance, she truly looked like a fairy looking down on the world.

Huang Rong, resting her rosy cheek on her hand, smiled, the smile spreading from the corners of her mouth, across her delicate face, and into her bright eyes. She and Huang Yaoshi entered the Valley of Heartbreak, walking ahead of Zhou Yan and the others. She then followed Yang Kang to the stone house.

When Zhou Yan arrived, Huang Yaoshi led Huang Rong to hide in the treetops. Huang Rong watched Zhou Yan's figure disappear and reappear at times, and then throw stones to hit acupoints, which she found delightful and interesting.

She was happy because life is full of unexpected encounters, and she met him again in the Valley of Heartbreak. She also recalled the scene when she went to the Valley of Heartbreak in the past, when she used a rope to descend from the cliff. She wondered if the rope was still there.

Interestingly, it's about viewing Zhou Yan's actions from the perspective of an observer.

In just over ten breaths, Zhou Yan and Yang Miaozhen appeared in Huang Rong's sight.

Zhou Yan was in front, and Yang Miaozhen was behind. Judging from their behavior and words, the two were quite intimate.

"Who is this woman?" Huang Rong pouted. "When I was escorted to the Western Regions by the monk Baoyin of the Vajra Sect, I encountered Zhou Yan in Shuozhou. He never treated me like this when he rescued me. He coldly told me to return to Zhongdu alone."

Huang Rong's gaze never left Zhou Yan. Soon after, Zhou Yan attacked the two of them again and rescued the woman in black from the stone house.

Huang Yaoshi snorted inwardly, his mind drifting to the image of the woman in the ancient tomb of Zhongnan Mountain.

"Rong'er, let's go!"

"Yes, Father!"

Huang Yaoshi moved like a night owl, silently flying towards the bamboo forest not far away. Huang Rong stood up, turned around, and glanced back at Zhou Yan.

This glance was like a painting of time itself. Huang Rong saw a series of scenes from the time she met Zhou Yan: the white horse and the west wind on the frontier, the apricot blossoms and the misty rain in Jiangnan, the lone smoke rising straight from the desert, and the clear waters and misty mountains of Qilian.

The painting depicts the footprints of himself and Zhou Yan.

Huang Rong realized that he and she had been through so much together, and suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest.

The heartache came unexpectedly, and Huang Rong cried out "Ah!" as she fell from the ancient tree.

(End of this chapter)