The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 310 The Descendants of Murong, the Shifting Stars?
Green bamboo leaves swayed in the wind, and bright sunlight fell into the academy.

The sounds of wind and reading aloud transformed into a fierce fight.

A burly man and a swift, graceful woman emerged from the eaves and brackets of the roof, which was covered with fish-scale-patterned tiles. The newcomers were Huo Zuo Shi, the high protector of the Manichaean sect.

Before either of them could even ponder why their secret outpost in Jingzhou had been exposed, the High Protector, who had landed in the courtyard, shouted and, as he ran, suddenly thrust his long staff at the back of the head of the Imperial City Guard expert in front of him. This strike was like the Phoenix Nodding in spear techniques; with just a light touch, the back of the opponent's head would shatter like a clay pot.

The skilled guard from the Imperial City Guard swiftly slashed backward with his blade. The tip of the blade collided with the long staff, producing a series of rapid and ear-piercing metallic clangs. The High Dharma King felt a slight numbness in his palm, and the buzzing sound of the long staff suddenly became dull.

He was inwardly surprised. There were no experts of such skill in the Imperial City Guard of Jingzhou. Could they be from Lin'an Prefecture? With this in mind, he focused all his attention, wielding his long staff like thunder, unleashing a storm of attacks upon his opponent.

Not far from the Dharma King, the long sword in the hand of Left Envoy Huo moved like flowing water and whirlpools. The domineering sword aura even pressed out a circle in the cold early winter air, an area with rolling white air waves that enveloped several experts from the Imperial City Guard.

Hong Qigong had already exchanged over a hundred blows with the handsome chief of the Imperial City Guard. Suddenly, the two intertwined figures separated. The chief's figure floated half a zhang away, then suddenly darted forward with lightning speed. His right palm and fingers were like a knife, aimed straight at Hong Qigong's throat. Before the fingertips even arrived, the fierce wind had already caused goosebumps to rise on his skin.

Hong Qigong, quick as lightning, suddenly flicked his left arm, his five fingers together like a snake raising its head, and swiftly struck the opponent's wrist pulse point, "Quchi". The opponent's forearm sank and twisted, swinging like a steel whip, and pressed down fiercely with a muffled thunderous sound.

"bang"

Hong Qigong crossed his arms like an iron bolt, and the two men's arms clashed, producing a piercing sound. Hong Qigong then took several steps back.

"Again!" Doji chuckled and unleashed a storm of "Flipping Fist" attacks.

Hong Qigong grew increasingly astonished as the fight progressed. His internal energy hadn't fully recovered, yet he calmly accepted the outcome. He wasn't ashamed or angry at losing to his opponent in an internal strength contest because of his identity as the Northern Beggar. What surprised him was the martial arts prowess of this seemingly thirty-year-old Imperial City Commander. So far, the opponent had used six different fist techniques: Shaolin Temple's "Great Vajra Fist," "Taizu Long Fist," Qingcheng School's "Six Harmonies Scattered Hands," and "Turning Fist." Hong Qigong's ability to deconstruct these techniques was undoubtedly among the best in the world. In his discerning eyes, this Commander's mastery of these techniques was impeccable. Such martial arts prowess was only seen in Zhou Yan among the younger generation; even the equally talented Ouyang Ke was far inferior.

He then looked at Du Zhi, who was fighting Zhang Sanqiang, and saw that the other party was like a shadowy figure that appeared and disappeared, and the strangeness of his movement was something he had never seen before.

It's strange that there's someone in the officialdom of Lin'an who possesses such extraordinary skills.

Suddenly, the handsome Du Zhi's figure flashed past Hong Qigong's sight, his palms flying up and down like endless waves, dense and vast, enveloping him.
Hong Qigong blurted out, "The Yangtze River has three tiers of waves."

"Chief Hong has great insight."

With a shout, Hong Qigong leaned back, and the instant he was parallel to the ground, his right foot, like a scorpion's long-dormant stinger, shot up from below with lightning speed.

This kick was both stealthy and swift, and Du Zhi was instantly startled and broke out in a cold sweat. He let out a long howl, twisted his body sharply, and his supporting left foot lifted off the ground, his entire body somersaulting out in the air.

This is a move from the Tongbei Quan style called "The Monkey Turns Over".

As soon as his feet touched the ground, a bright green bamboo staff "tripped" them. "Boy, fall down!" This is the "tripping" technique from the "Dog-Beating Stick Method." Like the Yangtze River, it flows continuously. If one trip fails, a second one follows, a series of hooks and loops that never give anyone a chance to breathe.

"Not necessarily," Na Du snorted coldly, twisting and turning his legs left and right, managing to escape from the relentless onslaught of the "tripping" technique.

"Huh!" Hong Qigong was quite surprised. He rarely used the "Dog-Beating Stick Technique," but whenever he did, he never failed. Even Ouyang Feng, the person in front of him, would be caught off guard and thrown into a panic. Yet, Ouyang Feng was able to escape relatively calmly.

"Young man, you have excellent footwork." Hong Qigong's staff technique suddenly changed, and just as he was about to unleash the "Dog-Beating Staff" move, a gray figure suddenly floated in like a surging cloud.

Hong Qigong's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, "You've come, kid!"

The visitor was Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan and Huang Rong were walking leisurely when they suddenly heard a long howl after they had been walking for a while in the academy. Knowing that something was wrong, he rushed over and saw the Imperial City Commander break free from Hong Qigong's "Dog-Beating Stick Technique" attack.

Zhou Yan instantly became alert. Hong Qigong's power had not fully recovered, but his ability to seize opportunities in a fight was unaffected. His "Dog-Beating Stick Technique" was at its peak. The fact that his opponent was able to escape meant that his cultivation was profound.

"Seventh Master, let me warm myself up, you go first." Zhou Yan said this, his body moving without stopping, punches, elbows, chops, and strikes coming in succession, all aimed at the same destination.

"Well done!" Du Zhi's body trembled, his bones and muscles resonated, and his fists flew, bringing with them a muffled whistling sound. His attack was like a raging wave crashing against the shore, continuous and unending.

"Flipping Fist?"

"What do you think?" That's what he chuckled softly.

"Playing tricks." Zhou Yan's punches were like a torrential rain, crisp as a whip. Everyone knew they were evenly matched. As soon as they clashed, their bodies moved swiftly forward and backward, crisscrossing the smoke. The sound echoing in the smoke was like thunder and a torrential rain.

Zhou Yan was secretly surprised. Every time his fist and arm collided with his opponent, a tremendous force rushed up his arm, making his entire arm feel sore and numb. This skill was indeed no less than that of Qiu Qianren.

Upon arriving in Jingzhou City, Zhou Yan, not wanting to linger in battle, seized an opportunity and unleashed the "Regretful Dragon" move from the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms. In an instant, an incomparably blazing palm wind surged forth like a spring from flat ground, suddenly sweeping towards Du Zhi. Hong Qigong, feeling the scorching heat in the air, was stunned. How had the Subduing Dragon Palms become like this in this kid's hands?

The handsome Du Zhi's face darkened. He dared not be careless and his fists flashed upwards to deflect the incoming palm. It was the Great Vajra Fist again. Fist and palm collided with a loud "bang", and dust filled the air. The blue bricks under their feet shattered.

Zhou Yan and Du Zhi each took two large steps back.

With a "crack," Zhou Yan channeled the weight of a thousand pounds into his legs, slamming his left foot against the bluestone slab. His waist and hips propelled his spine, the joints cracking with a series of breathtaking sounds. His body moved with explosive force, his blood and qi instantly reaching their peak. He unleashed a series of moves from the Dragon Subduing Palm technique, including "Riding the Six Dragons," "Shocking the Hundred Miles," and "Dragon Fighting in the Wilderness," pushing out one palm after another.

They all knew to be ruthless, gathering powerful, penetrating force in their arms, enough to shatter mountains, and clashed with the "Great Vajra Fist." In an instant, one after another, the sound of air exploding suddenly rang out in the academy.

They both retreated, each step heavy as a stake being driven into a stone slab. Zhou Yan pressed them relentlessly, and the two figures, like millstones, swept across the bamboo forest and crashed into the nearby study.

Winter sunlight streamed in through the window, forming a slanted beam of light. Dust swirled in the air as Zhou Yan moved with incredible speed, unleashing a palm strike. This unexpected attack was precisely the "sudden attack" technique of the Dragon Subduing Palm.

Upon seeing this, Du Zhi's expression darkened. He pointed with his left hand, and with a loud crack, pieces of wood flew from the left side of the bookcase, breaking into several pieces, and the books on the shelf collapsed.

Zhou Yan's palm strike was redirected by Du Zhi and struck the bookshelf.

"The Great Shift of Heaven and Earth?" Zhou Yan was startled, but then he dismissed the idea. Yu Huacheng had never practiced the Ming Cult's most important martial art, so how could the Imperial City Guard know it?

A flash of inspiration struck him, and he remembered another martial arts technique.

"The Stars Shift and the Dipper Turns".

Zhou Yan looked at Du Zhi again.

His eyes slanted slightly, his face was handsome and elegant, and he exuded a commanding presence.

Could this be a descendant of the Murong family of Gusu?

Knowing that they could deflect Zhou Yan's palm strikes, they would seize the opportunity to strike. With their five fingers like beaks, they would use cunning and ruthless techniques to strike, poke, flick, and sweep, targeting Zhou Yan's joints and acupoints. This was another set of sophisticated acupoint striking techniques. Although it was not as graceful as the Peach Blossom Island's unique skill, "Orchid Flicking Acupoint Hand," it was faster and more ruthless.

Zhou Yan unleashed the "Crushing Divine Claw," striking fiercely with its claw force that tore through the air with a tearing sound like ripping silk.

Two figures blocked and attacked each other in the study, constantly spinning and breaking through the window. Zhou Yan landed, drew his sword with his right hand, and with a "clang", the Qingfeng sword was held horizontally in front of his chest.

Knowing this, how could he dare to be careless? He suddenly flipped his right hand and drew his long sword.

A cyan, icy sword light exploded from Zhou Yan's body, like a shattered ball of light. The tip of the Qingfeng sword trembled, and using this tremor, it suddenly multiplied into seven sword lights, which shot towards Du Zhi like arrows.

"Excellent swordsmanship!" Du Zhi wielded his long sword with the fluidity of flowing water, and in an instant, his entire body was enveloped in a curtain of light, blocking all seven of Zhou Yan's sword strikes.

The sounds of metal clanging together, as dense as fireworks during the first month of the lunar calendar, rapidly spread throughout the academy.

The two figures separated again. Zhou Yan, sword in hand, said, "I do not kill nameless nobodies. State your names."

"Li Yan." Du Zhi snorted coldly.

Zhou Yan first experienced the opponent's technique, which was similar to the "Great Shift of Heaven and Earth," and then fought sword to sword. Combining the opponent's diverse martial arts skills and ever-changing swordsmanship, he made a general judgment. Upon hearing that the opponent claimed to be Li Yan, he scoffed inwardly, thinking that he should be called Murong Yan.

"Come again!"

Zhou Yan unleashed a sword strike, its momentum swirling and shifting like a wild goose soaring in a strong wind. The sword technique was unpredictable, already the Hengshan School's "Returning Wind and Falling Goose Sword."

The longsword in Li Yan's hand instantly transformed into a hazy sword shadow, like surging clouds and waves, seemingly light and ethereal, yet containing a continuous and inexhaustible force.

This clash was like a hurricane tearing through the air, creating a terrifying sword domain that was difficult for outsiders to enter.

Hong Qigong glanced at it briefly, clicked his tongue in admiration, and thought to himself that Zhou Yan had finally found a worthy opponent.

With that thought in mind, he withdrew his gaze, took the dog-beating stick in his hand, and with two thuds, tripped the two Imperial Guard experts he was fighting, sending them sprawling to the ground.

(End of this chapter)