The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 311 From Dead End to Dead End: Three Masterful Battles in One Day
The early winter sun shines on the courtyard with its upturned eaves, and everything looks bright and cheerful in the warm weather.

A female disciple of the White Lotus Sect walked through the corridor and entered the hall, bringing out the finest fragrant tea.

Qiu Qianren picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

In front of him were three open wooden boxes, gleaming with precious stones.

Yu Huacheng, the leader of the White Lotus Sect, also picked up his teacup and drank slowly. Under the eaves where sunlight streamed in, stood Zhuang Shiyi and Gongsun Zhi.

When Zhou Yan and Huang Rong arrived at Zhenwei Escort Agency in Kaifeng Prefecture, Yang Kang wanted Qiu Qianren to go to western Hunan to contact the White Lotus Sect and see if he could be used by Wanyan Honglie.

In the battle of "Four Seasons Abode", Qiu Qianren was injured by Zhou Yan with a copper cymbal. However, for someone with Qiu Qianren's profound cultivation, external injuries heal quickly, especially since he also had Gongsun Zhi, who was proficient in medicine, to help him with treatment.

The wound scabbed over in less than four days, and he was able to move freely.

Qiu Qianren took the jewelry given to him by Yang Kang and headed straight for western Hunan.

Qiu Qianchi and Gongsun Zhi have broken ties. Qiu Qianren feels guilty towards Gongsun Zhi, so he instructs him in martial arts techniques and treats him like a close relative.

Qiu Qianren went south, and Gongsun Zhi followed him.

The White Lotus Sect and the Iron Palm Clan are both top-tier forces in Jiangnan, so it wasn't difficult for Iron Palm Clan disciples scattered throughout the region to find out the whereabouts of Yu Huacheng and his group.

Qiu Qianren encountered Yu Huacheng and Zhuang Shiyi, who had come south from Zhongdu, in Jingzhou.

Both men were quite old and had an air of otherworldly wisdom. Qiu Qianren put down his teacup and said, "The White Lotus Sect and the Manichaeism have a grudge against each other, and the Iron Palm Clan and the Manichaeism have also had a considerable conflict recently. Zhang Sanqiang has a wide circle of friends and many people who help him, so he is not easy to deal with. How about the Iron Palm Clan and the White Lotus Sect cooperate?"

Yang Kang wanted Qiu Qianren to win him over, but Qiu Qianren had his own methodical approach to things. When dealing with someone like Yu Huacheng, he believed that starting with the interests of the Jianghu gangs would facilitate cooperation. Once they became familiar with each other and their interests were completely intertwined, discussing more profound matters would be a natural outcome. Therefore, he did not get straight to the point and reveal Yang Kang's true intentions.

Upon hearing Qiu Qianren's words, Yu Huacheng was intrigued. His support for Elder Peng of the Beggars' Sect to vie for the position of sect leader was precisely to deal with Zhang Sanqiang, seize the "Great Shift of the Universe," and take control of Manichaeism, thus uniting the two religions into one.

He knew that the Iron Palm Clan was doing things for the Jin Kingdom, but as long as Qiu Qianren didn't try to recruit him to the Jin Kingdom, but instead targeted the Manichaeism, there was nothing wrong with the two sides cooperating.

"Chief Qiu, please tell me slowly."

"it is good!"

At that moment, hurried footsteps came from the corridor, and the White Lotus Saint Child, Wuse, walked through the corridor to the eaves.
"Has something happened?" Zhuang Shiyi asked, noticing Wuse's hurried steps.

Wuse replied, "The academy over there in Jiqingfang was originally a branch of the Manichaeism. A group of experts from the Imperial City Guard rushed over there."

Zhang Sanqiang had appeared in Jingzhou and fought against Ouyang Feng and Huogong Toutuo, a fact known to Qiu Qianren and Yu Huacheng. Upon hearing this, the leader of the Iron Palm Gang in the hall smiled at the leader of the White Lotus Sect and said, "What a coincidence! Speaking of the Manichaeism, the Imperial City Guard is about to surround and kill Zhang Sanqiang's men. He appeared in Jingzhou before, so he might be at the academy. Why don't we go and take a look?"

"Okay!"

Yu Huacheng and Qiu Qianren got up and left the main hall, followed by Zhuang Shiyi, Gongsun Zhi, and Wuse. The five of them hurried towards the academy.

……

Amidst the swirling dust of the academy, Zhang Sanqiang retreated, suddenly grabbing the heavy iron spear resting under the old tree. As if he had eyes in the back of his head, without turning around, he flicked his wrist, the spear's tail lashing out like a scorpion's tail, the spear tip flashing backward like lightning. This sudden change of move was swift and unpredictable, the very essence of the "Returning Spear" technique.

A skilled Imperial Guard who had rushed up from behind was pierced through the chest and staggered backward. The spear was withdrawn with a buzzing sound, and in the blink of an eye, it was swung like a dragon, rushing and roaring out, stabbing towards Li Taiping.

The chief of the Imperial City Guard felt as if the air around him was roaring. He gasped. Zhang Sanqiang with a gun and Zhang Sanqiang without a gun were completely different people.

As he thought this, the longsword in his hand parried and counterattacked with equally fast speed. The shadows of swords and spears suddenly extended towards the academy, and in the blink of an eye, countless metallic clangs filled the air.

Huang Rong's figure appeared on the roof at that moment. She observed for a moment and was stunned.

The two officials were evenly matched with Zhang Sanqiang and Zhou Yan.

"How come there are more and more masters? Could it be that, as Father said, the world is about to usher in a golden age of martial arts?" Huang Rong muttered to herself, grabbed more than ten "Ice Soul Silver Needles" and threw them out with the "Fairy Scattering Flowers" technique.

"Chief Hong, over here!"

Amidst cries of "Ouch!", several Imperial City Guard experts, unable to dodge in time, fell to the ground with poisoned needles in their hands. Hong Qigong laughed heartily, turned around, took a few quick steps, and leaped onto the roof. "Yellow girl's hidden weapon skills are quite good."

Hong Qigong had witnessed Ouyang Feng proposing marriage to Huang Yaoshi at Yueyang Tower, so he naturally recognized Huang Rong in women's clothing.

“My name is Jiao Rong’er, not Huang Yatou.”

"Hehe, let's call her Rong'er, and give those officials a handful of silver needles too."

Huang Rong glanced at Protector Gao and Left Envoy Huo, who were fighting against the experts of the Imperial City Guard, and said with a smile, "Alright!"

She raised her hand repeatedly, and more than a dozen silver needles hissed down into the battle. Taking advantage of the moment when their opponents were dodging the needles, Protector Gao and Left Envoy Huo jumped out of the encirclement.
"Aren't you leaving yet? Don't worry about your leader," Hong Qigong said.

"Thank you, Chief Hong." The two thanked him and leaped onto the roof. Huang Rong looked at Zhou Yan; in her vision, two balls of sword light rolled back and forth like spheres of light.

……

Zhou Yan's longsword transformed into a streak of blue light, held horizontally in front of him. Li Yan thrust her sword forward, shattering the silver screen and scattering blue light across the ground, breaking Zhou Yan's "Sealing" ultimate sword technique, which was incorporated into the Jade Maiden Swordplay.

Zhou Yan remained calm and collected, pressing his Qingfeng sword downwards with full force.

Li Yan pushed off with both legs, floating several feet backward. Her longsword changed from offense to defense, and the circle of sword became a circle, like a bright moon hanging in the sky.

Zhou Yan thrust and parried with his longsword, and a bright moon of sword light slowly rose. When the sword light shattered, it was Li Yan's longsword that had been deflected into the air by Zhou Yan using the "pick" technique from his sword style.

Huang Rong watched with great delight; Zhou Yan's swordsmanship had become much more exquisite and varied than before.

Hong Qigong's eyes shone brightly, and he thought to himself, "Wonderful!" This kid had actually incorporated the eight secrets of the "Eight Methods of Beating Dogs" into his sword style. When he wielded this long sword, it was neither a sword nor a staff; it was both a sword and a staff, and a staff was also a sword. It was far superior to Gongsun Zhi's chaotic sword and saber technique in the Battle of Shaoshi Mountain.

Suddenly, Li Yan's wrist sank, and the longsword that had been swung up drew an arc, its tip piercing towards Zhou Yan's "Tian Ding" acupoint on his shoulder. Zhou Yan's body sank slightly, and he met the attack with a perfectly timed "Ding Yang Needle".

With a clang, the tips of the two longswords met, like a crescent moon.

Just as Li Yan was about to unleash her inner strength, Zhou Yan's Qingfeng sword suddenly snapped straight, and with a hissing sound, a tangible sword aura struck the "Tian Ding" acupoint on his shoulder.

Zhou Yan's sword attack was just like Li Yan's previous strike aimed directly at his shoulder's "Tian Ding" acupoint; it was truly "using their own methods against them."

Li Yan was startled and quickly retreated, her left index finger pointing lightly in the air.

The sword energy and finger force collided suddenly in the void, exploding into a white vortex with a "bang".

"The 'Convergence Finger'?" Zhou Yan's eyelids twitched, and as he swooped backward, his toes unleashed a series of flying kicks, sending roof tiles flying out with a sharp whooshing sound as they hurtled towards Li Yan.

Li Yan wielded her long sword with impenetrable force, causing tiles to scatter in all directions.

Zhou Yan landed beside Hong Qigong, "Let's go, Qigong!"

"it is good!"

Several figures moved swiftly, heading towards the long street outside the academy.

……

Zhou Yan, Hong Qigong, Huang Rong, Left Envoy Huo, and Protector Gao floated and disappeared among the rows of buildings of the academy, descending along the rooftops. The five who had come from the long street were all stunned for a moment, and in the bright daylight, various sounds intertwined in an instant.

"It is Yu Huacheng."

"Chief Hong isn't dead?"

"Zhou Yan, you little thief, prepare to die!"

"Zhou Yan, what a small world!"

Yu Huacheng and Qiu Qianren, who were injured by Zhou Yan's sword stab and copper cymbal slash in Funiu Mountain and Kaifeng Prefecture respectively, attacked at the same time, and Hong Qigong blocked Qiu Qianren.

The Manichaean ultimate techniques, "Great Nine Heavens Hand" and "Iron Palm Skill," were unleashed by Yu Huacheng and Qiu Qianren respectively, their palm forces, like surging waves, simultaneously pushing towards Zhou Yan and Hong Qigong.

Now, the Beggar and the镖人, who are now considered close friends despite their age difference, are surprisingly in sync and simultaneously use the "亢龙有悔" (Kanglong Youhui) skill.

With two muffled thuds, the blue bricks in the alley were smashed open, and boiling dust and gusts of air rolled and churned against the walls.

Zhou Yan and Yu Huacheng each swayed and retreated.

Hong Qigong, however, took over and flew more than two zhang away.

Qiu Qianren was overjoyed. As the Fire-Worker Monk had said, even if Hong Qigong did not die, his power would be greatly reduced and difficult to recover. What was there to fear now?

In another part of the alley, Protector Gao and Zhuang Shiyi exchanged blows. The long staff in Gao's hand was smashed back, arching into a semi-circle.

Zhuang Shiyi pounced forward like a ghost, his palm strike landing silently on his chest.

With his left hand holding a stick, Protector Gao threw a powerful punch with his right. As their fists collided, Protector Gao staggered back several steps, feeling his blood churning in his chest and a bone-chilling cold. He looked extremely pained.

Zhuang Shiyi attacked again, but Huang Rong came horizontally to block his path.

(End of this chapter)