The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 31 The human heart is not enough and the snake swallows the elephant.

The autumn light was warm. Lu, the bodyguard, walked through the courtyard under the eaves, paused briefly, and then entered the hall.

"My boss."

"Sit down." Lei Luo, the owner of Sihai, placed his teacup on the table and sighed, "How is Escort Su's injury?"

"It should take about ten days to half a month to fully recover."

"Yes, very good. Don't take yesterday's events to heart. Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war."

"Thank you for your concern, Master. I can bear it, but you, Master... We are incompetent. Not only did we lose the goods, but we also made you attend the Burning Heart Banquet."

"It's because there isn't another Zhou Yan in the world."

"Master, you are mistaken. The reason why Escort Su failed was because Zhou Yan somehow obtained some kind of opportunity, and his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds in just half a month. His improvement was far greater than during the conflict at Songhelou. Escort Su was caught off guard and thus suffered a loss. As for me, I was simply restrained by Shi Suo's spear technique, not because I was weak. In terms of martial arts, the first in Fu'an Escort Agency are the head escorts Zhang Wangyue and Shi Xiangui, followed by the escorts Huyan Lei, Wang Kui, Shi Baichuan, Cui Qingshan, and a few others."

"That makes sense, but Zhou Yan is young."

"Indeed, once Zhou Yan grows up, life will be quite difficult for Sihai in the future."

Lei Luo, the owner, glanced at Lu, the bodyguard, and said, "I feel like there's something hidden in your words."

Lu, the bodyguard, said, "Since you've asked, I'll share some of my thoughts."

"But it doesn't matter."

"This escort competition will definitely spread, making it even more difficult for escort agencies to secure lucrative escort missions in the future. But what if something goes wrong with this mission and Fu'an's reputation is ruined?"

"How do you say this?"

Lu, the镖师 (bodyguard/escort), said, "This shipment from Fu'an is destined to cross the Yellow River. I happen to know Sha Tongtian, the leader of the Yellow River Gang, and he is currently in Zhongdu. If we offer him a large sum of money, the Yellow River Gang can seize the shipment."

The owner, Lei Luo, drank tea but did not express his opinion.

Lu, the镖师 (bodyguard/escort), said, "The Fu'an Escort Agency is actually divided into two major factions, led by Zhang Wangyue and Shi Xiangui. Zhou Yan is from Zhang's side. If this shipment is lost, Shi Xiangui will be able to suppress Zhang Wangyue, causing internal strife in Fu'an. Moreover, they will have to compensate for the loss, facing internal and external troubles and falling into decline. It's even possible that the owner will annex Fu'an, at which point Sihai will leap to become the top of the four major escort agencies. The number one escort agency in the world."

Lei Luo was certainly tempted. He wasn't an outsider; losing a shipment in Fu'an would likely bankrupt Duan Huai'an. Then, internal strife would erupt, giving him at least an 80% chance of seizing Fu'an. With the two escort agencies merged, Sihai Escort Agency would firmly hold the top position among the four major escort agencies, truly the best in the world, with goods transported across the four seas and escort services available everywhere.

He whispered, "Are you sure?"

Lu, the bodyguard, confidently declared, "The Yellow River Gang deals in this kind of waterborne business. With just a word from the boss, the rest is up to me. There will be no mistakes."

Lei Luo's mind was now filled with thoughts of "the number one escort agency in the world." He instructed, "Okay, you must do it without anyone noticing."

"Don't worry, boss."

……

Cui Changshun strolled listlessly along the long street, his mind still replaying the vivid descriptions the bodyguards had given of Zhou Yan's bidding for the escort mission the day before. Besides feeling jealous and resentful of Zhou Yan, he also fantasized about how wonderful it would be if he could successfully win the mission and show off his martial prowess.

Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind, "Brother Cui, please wait."

Upon hearing this, Cui Changshun turned around and saw that it was Su and Lu, the镖师 (bodyguards) from Sihai.

The two escort agencies knew each other inside and out. Since Sihai wanted to target Fu'an, it was not difficult for him to find out something. He spent some money and learned that Cui Changqing and his nephew Cui Changshun were at odds with Zhou Yan.

"You two are looking for me?" Cui Changshun asked, looking at the bodyguards from all over the world, puzzled.

Lu the镖师 (bodyguard/escort) said with a smile, "I'm a straightforward person, and I can't stand those who are secretive and scheming, so I speak my mind directly."

“Then we should say it,” Cui Changshun said.

Lu, the bodyguard, said, "A pearl is cast before swine. Brother Cui is very capable, but Fu'an is blind to his talent. If Brother Cui were to travel the world, the position of bodyguard would be a natural fit."

Su, the bodyguard, said, "Exactly! A tree dies when moved, but a person thrives."

"Is this really true?" Cui Changshun was intrigued.

"Of course, it's not just Brother Cui, your uncle, Master Cui, is the same. Once he arrives at Sihai, his status will be above mine."

Changing allegiances is not uncommon in the world of镖师 (bodyguards/escorts). Zhang Wangyue moved from Longmen镖局 in Lin'an Prefecture to Fu'an镖局 in Daxing Prefecture.

Cui Changshun said excitedly, "I'll tell my uncle when he gets back."

"That's good. Brother Cui's hopes of becoming a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) are dashed, is it because of Zhou Yan?"

"Of course!" Cui Changshun gritted his teeth.

"Do you want to ruin Zhou Yan's reputation?"

"Of course I want to." "Come on, let's find a secluded place to talk."

Under the bright daylight, the three walked into the narrow alleyway.

……

When Sha Tongtian, the "Dragon King of the Ghost Gate," heard the steward of the Prince's Mansion say that someone was looking for him, he was not surprised at all.

The fact that I and my junior brother went to the Prince's Mansion was known to all the disciples in the gang. It was probably because something had happened in the gang that they sent people over.

He led Hou Tonghai out of the palace.

The one who paid his respects to Sha Tongtian was Lu the镖师 (bodyguard/escort). Seeing the Yellow River Gang leader with bloodshot eyes and a bright head, he quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Lu An greets Gang Leader Sha."

Sha Tongtian looked at the burly man before him, scrutinizing him repeatedly. He vaguely remembered him; the man seemed to be a镖师 (bodyguard/escort), someone who had once come to his door to seek help, apparently on the banks of the Yellow River.

"You're a bodyguard..."

"Chief Sha has a good memory. Lu An, a bodyguard from the Four Seas Escort Agency."

"Remember."

Lu An smiled ingratiatingly and said, "I learned by chance that you had arrived in Zhongdu, so I came to pay my respects."

Unlike his junior brother, the Three-Headed Dragon Hou Tonghai, who was often slow-witted, Sha Tongtian knew these were all flattery and asked, "Is there trouble with the goods on the Yellow River, and you need to find them?"

"No, it's not that. The owner of the escort agency has given me five hundred taels of gold, asking for your help, Chief."

"Let's find a place to talk."

Lu An was overjoyed, "This way, Chief Sha, please."

The three walked around the Prince's mansion, where a carriage was parked at the alley entrance.

"Please, Boss."

"Ok!"

The three boarded the carriage, and Lu An, the bodyguard, lifted the yellow cloth and opened the wooden box containing gold.

Hou Tonghai, the Three-Headed Dragon, grinned: "It's gold."

"Let's talk about it in detail."

"Chief Sha is upright and honest," Lu An, the bodyguard, flattered him, and then succinctly explained that Fu An was on a delivery mission for the next two days and would inevitably cross the Yellow River, intending to have the Yellow River Gang rob the shipment.

After he finished speaking, he immediately added, "Several hundred mules and horses, mostly horses, each one worth tens of taels of silver. In this time of war and chaos, there is no worry about finding a buyer. The mules, horses, and other goods will all belong to you, sir."

Sha Tongtian was shrewd and quickly realized that this was a feud between escort agencies, a common occurrence. However, with five hundred taels of gold plus the proceeds from the shipment, the profit was substantial. He said, "It's a good deal, but I'm too busy to do anything else."

Lu An's heart skipped a beat.

Then he heard the voice of the Ghost Gate Dragon King, as beautiful as heavenly music.

"Alright then, I'll have my junior brother handle it."

"Thank you, Chief Sha."

Lu An was overjoyed; the clouds had parted and the blue sky had appeared!

……

During the daytime, the merchant Lu purchased furs, medicinal herbs, and spices, delivering nearly twenty cartloads. After the other party and the owner checked the goods and settled accounts, Zhou Yan and the bodyguards and porters packed the goods into the escort boxes and sealed them.

All goods are ready.

The merchant, Mr. Lü, was generous and allowed the escort agency to use the mules they had purchased to pull the escort carts, thus saving the agency the trouble of hiring horses from a horse trading company.

Everything is ready; we are just waiting for the auspicious day to set sail.

Zhou Yan was on night duty. At dusk, he went home first, hiding away the "Yue Family Boxing Manual" with its meridian diagrams and his savings. He only carried a little over fifty taels of silver with him, just enough for his return trip to Xiangyang. He also prepared wound medicine, a dagger, an iron ring, and a packet of lime powder. He kept one packet of lime powder in his pocket, and packed the rest into his personal bundle.

Since it was still early, Zhou Yan maintained his bow and arrows, then put them back in their quiver. After checking them inside and out, he plucked three long hairs, stuck them to the door with grains of rice, and climbed out the window.

He locked the door with the bolt, climbed over the wall, left the courtyard, and headed straight for the security escort agency.

(End of this chapter)