The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 313 Some people developed genuine feelings, while others showed mercy.

The setting sun hung over Huangshan Mountain on the outskirts of Jingzhou, its golden rays enveloping the layered mountain range.

The rolling mountains are situated between the southern and northern sections of Jinghu Road in the Jianghan Plain, covered with lush bamboo groves and towering pines and cypresses. At the foot of the mountains, lakes such as Fairy Lake, Moon Lake, and Green Bamboo Lake are like mirrors embedded in the surrounding landscape, hence the beautiful name "Silver Lakes, Green Fields, and Golden Mountains." This place is also the birthplace of Jingchu culture.

In the past, Huang Rong would have quoted classical allusions and poems about the culture of Jingchu, but now she was only anxious.

Zhou Yan, Zhang Sanqiang, Hong Qigong, and others left Jingzhou City under the cover of Manichaean disciples and traveled all the way to a dilapidated temple at Huangshantou.

Severely injured, Zhang Sanqiang collapsed to the ground upon entering the temple. The Manichaean leader was covered in wounds, with more than ten sword wounds all over his body.

Protector Gao also fell unconscious after being struck by Zhuang Shiyi's cold palm. Zhou Yan, who had been hit by Yu Huacheng's "Great Nine Heavens Hand" and then exchanged blows with Zhuang Shiyi, was also seriously injured.

Zhang Sanqiang collapsed, and Huang Rong checked his injuries. He was not in mortal danger, but his body was extremely weak. Zhou Yan guessed that it was because his opponent had used the "Great Shift of Heaven and Earth" in the fierce battle, which had exhausted his body's potential.

He gave Huang Rong some instructions, asking her to prepare more food, and then he circulated his internal energy to regulate his breathing.

As the setting sun cast its last rays, wisps of steam rose from Zhou Yan's head, who sat upright under the dilapidated eaves, like a steamer. Huang Rong felt anxious, and that phrase kept echoing in her mind.

"What if I hurt you?"

Whenever she thought of those words, Huang Rong couldn't help but curse Zhou Yan in her heart, her eyes filled with worry as she cursed him.

Hong Qigong gave Zhang Sanqiang and Protector Gao the "Nine-Flower Jade Dew Pill" given by Huang Rong, and then came over to Huang Rong and said, "Rong'er, don't worry. As long as this kid doesn't die during the fight, he can come back to life. I've seen injuries that were much more serious than this before."

"When?" Huang Rong tilted her head and looked at Hong Qigong.

"In Datong Prefecture, this kid's martial arts were far inferior to what they are now. He was poisoned by the old poisoner's Toad Style and was on the verge of death, but he managed to survive. Once he recovers some of his strength, he will be able to neutralize the cold poison in Protector Gao's body."

Huang Rong didn't care about Protector Gao's life or death, but when Hong Qigong said that, she exclaimed with delight, "Really!"

"The old beggar still has a good eye. Master Zhang has almost completely drained his body's energy and blood. This kid also needs to eat and replenish his strength. Get him some food."

Huang Rong was overjoyed: "This is what I've been preparing."

Left Envoy Huo breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I'll go buy some ginseng."

"Bring a pot," Huang Rong instructed.

"it is good!"

After Huo Zuoshi left, Hong Qigong sighed, "That old beggar is useless; otherwise, things wouldn't have ended up like this."

"They're bullying you now, but once you recover your strength, you'll get your revenge tenfold. Rong'er was also seriously injured and couldn't use her skills, but Zhou Yan escorted her to Taihu Lake, and after Father treated her, she's even better than before," Huang Rong said with a smile.

Hong Qigong laughed and said, "Your way of speaking is exactly the same as Huang Yaoshi's. You might as well just call me Qigong."

"Seventh Duke!"

"Yes, the centipedes from Huangshan are very famous. Old beggars catch some and eat them to help restore their energy and blood, and relax their muscles and tendons."

"But now that it's winter, what about?"

"The old beggar has a clever plan."

Huang Rong, out of curiosity, followed Hong Qigong.

After a short while, Hong Qigong caught a pheasant, broke its neck, found a place, and buried it.

Huang Rong suddenly realized, "Centipedes and chickens are inherently incompatible. Seventh Master buried the rooster here to attract all the centipedes around."

"Rong'er is so clever."

Huang Rong smiled smugly.

Suddenly, a sika deer appeared in the rustling leaves not far away, much to Huang Rong's delight.

"Seventh Master, the deer!"

Hong Qigong's cultivation had not fully recovered, but it was still far superior to Huang Rong's. He picked up a few stones from the ground, and with a swift movement, he chased after her. Soon after, he emerged from the forest dragging a sika deer.

"Rong'er will make you deer tongue and deer stomach."

Hong Qigong took a few big gulps of wine from his gourd, his cravings completely aroused.

"Seventh Master, you go back first. Rong'er will go find some things to bring back."

"Alright!" The two went their separate ways. Hong Qigong took the deer back to the dilapidated temple, tested the breathing of Protector Gao and Zhang Sanqiang, glanced at Zhou Yan who was healing himself, and went to the courtyard full of withered leaves and weeds. He performed a set of "Free and Easy Wandering" and then sat cross-legged to practice "Yi Jin Duan Gu Pian".

As night fell and the starry river flowed, crackling sounds emanated from Hong Qigong's body. His eyes gleamed with a sharp light, and his skill had advanced to the fourth stage. The key was that he had opened up two meridians that had been damaged and spasmed by the internal energy of the Vajra Prajna Palm.

Hong Qigong got up, picked up the sika deer, and went to find a stream to dispose of the carcass.

As night deepened, Hong Qigong, Huo Zuoshi, and Huang Rong returned one after another.

Huang Rong held up a flat stone slab that she had found.

Under Hong Qigong's watchful eye, Huang Rong and Huo Zuoshi fetched water, cut off the deer's tongue, peeled off the tongue coating, and then cut the deer's tongue into evenly sized round slices on a clean stone slab.

She said to Hong Qigong, "The deer tongue slices should not be cut too thin, otherwise they will easily become overcooked. Two inches thick is just right. Then make a deer heart soup and fry the deer stomach."

Hong Qigong wasn't hungry, but Huang Rong's words made his stomach rumble. "Did your father teach you all this?"

"No, it's not that. Rong'er came up with it when she was bored, since there was nothing to do on Peach Blossom Island."

"If you used that intelligence on practicing martial arts, wouldn't you be even more powerful than that kid Zhou Yan?"

Huang Rong chuckled, too embarrassed to admit she liked to be lazy. Under Hong Qigong's watchful eye, Huang Rong sliced ​​deer tongue and heart, and lit two bonfires.

Soon after, a rich aroma of meat wafted from the stone slab. The edges of the deer tongue slices rapidly changed color under the high temperature, turning from pink to light brown. The meat juices sizzled as they fell onto the stone slab, transforming into wisps of enticing fragrance.

The aroma of the broth and the fresh scent of wild scallions wafted from the iron pot, not the direct and intense aroma of meat sizzling on a stone slab, but a warm and delicate flavor.

Zhou Yan spent nearly two hours regulating his breathing, neutralizing the Xuan Yin Palm energy within his body and drawing upon the warm and pure Qi of the Jade Guanyin to repair his meridian injuries. It would still take at least several more days for him to fully recover, but he was already able to use his internal energy to neutralize the cold poison for Protector Gao.

He snapped out of his reverie and sensed the alluring fragrance.

"Are you done?" Huang Rong, whom Zhou Yan saw, was incomparably beautiful, with seven parts innocence and three parts coquettishness.

"almost."

"Eat something first. Seventh Master and I made fried deer tongue and deer heart soup."

Hong Qigong, who was drinking, laughed and said, "It has nothing to do with the old beggar; it was all Rong'er's doing."

"Alright, thank you." Zhou Yan replied, then asked, "How is Master Zhang?"

"He is still unconscious, but his breathing is gradually stabilizing, and he will wake up soon."

"Very good!"

Huang Rong brought over the remaining deer tongue from the ceramic bowl. Zhou Yan picked up a piece of deer tongue with slightly charred edges, put it in his mouth and chewed it. The extremely tender and rich flavor melted on his tongue in an instant.

"good to eat!"

Huang Rong said happily, "There's also ginseng and deer heart soup, which can nourish qi and blood."

“The old beggar couldn’t wait any longer and ate. You should eat more,” Hong Qigong added.

"I'll try it."

Huang Rong's cooking skills only bring surprises. A bowl of deer heart soup, with the addition of wild onions and ginseng, has very little fishy smell and is more pure and rich in meat and medicinal aroma.

The stewed deer heart has a smooth and fragrant texture, and its taste is even better than the deer heart soup at "Songhelou" in Zhongdu.

After eating, Zhou Yan regained his energy, and his blood and qi gradually became stronger and more robust. During this time, Huang Rong mentioned Li Taiping and Li Yan of the Imperial City Guard, saying that she had never met them when she was in the Lin'an Imperial Palace. If these two had been there at that time, the palace would have become a den of dragons and tigers.

Zhou Yan is basically certain that Li Yan is a descendant of the Murong lineage of Gusu, not a successor, and that her name should be Murong Yan.

As for Li Taiping's identity, he first recalled Li Taiping's ghostly movements and lightning-fast sword strikes. After repeated consideration, the only connection he could make was the lineage of the former dynasty's eunuchs mentioned in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer.

The eunuch of the previous dynasty created the "Sunflower Manual," which circulated in the martial arts world for over three hundred years, around the time of the Legend of the Condor Heroes. After Zhang Sanqiang recovers and the cold poison within Protector Gao's body is removed, it's time for him to make a trip to Taihu Lake.

Zhuang Shiyi of the White Lotus Sect is related to Zhuang Juxian and Bai Sun Daoren Dingcun, or perhaps he is a pivotal figure in their lineage. If the Murong lineage of Gusu has descendants, what about Lingjiu Palace?

Is the world of martial arts about to usher in its golden age? Zhou Yan sighed.

A crescent moon hung in the deep night sky, and the wind howled through the mountains and forests.

Zhou Yan got up and went to Protector Gao's side, using his refined internal energy tempered by liver fire to treat the cold poison. After nearly an hour, the cold poison was completely eliminated.

Zhou Yan regulated his breathing again, during which time Protector Gao and Zhang Sanqiang woke up one after another.

The Manichaean leader had an astonishing appetite, drinking several bowls of deer heart soup and eating large chunks of roasted venison before using his internal energy to heal his injuries.

As dawn broke and a thin mist drifted through the mountains and forests, Hong Qigong and Huang Rong arrived at the place where the pheasant had been buried. They dug it up and found it covered with about a hundred large centipedes, each seven or eight inches long, with red and black markings and colorful patterns.

Huang Rong clapped her hands and cheered.

In the dilapidated temple where the sunlight shone, Zhou Yan exhaled a foot-long plume of white vapor and opened his eyes, feeling refreshed.

“He’s awake!” Zhang Sanqiang said, sitting by the campfire.

"Hmm, how is the sect leader's injury?"

"Internal injuries are not a big deal, but external injuries heal quickly."

"Very good."

"The Imperial City Guard frequently raids Manichaeans. Can the leader discern the origins of Li Taiping and Li Yan?"

Zhang Sanqiang shook his head: "I have fought with the Imperial City Guard at least dozens of times, and I have always escaped unscathed. But if those two people had been among those who were trying to capture me in the past, they would have been in grave danger long ago."

"Their cultivation level is indeed profound."

Recalling their encounter at the academy, Zhang Sanqiang pondered for a long while before speaking in a low, slow voice, "That woman in her thirties, you all know her name is Li Yan, right?"

"Ok!"

"I think the other party went easy on me."

Zhang Sanqiang's words further confirmed Zhou Yan's judgment that Li Yan was a member of the Murong clan of Gusu.

The leader of Manichaeism couldn't figure out the reason, but Zhou Yan could guess the general idea.

Li Yan is probably still dreaming of restoring his country. If Zhang Sanqiang and Yu Huacheng are still alive, they can rebel. The more chaotic the situation, the more advantageous it is for Li Yan.

During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, sixteen states were established by the Xiongnu, Jie, Di, Qiang, and Xianbei, collectively known as the "Sixteen Kingdoms of the Five Barbarians." It was during this period that Murong Chui restored the Yan state.

Zhou Yan inwardly scoffed, thinking that Li Yan was far superior to his ancestor Murong Fu.

(End of this chapter)