The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 321 Turning the Tide, A Gentle Breeze of Sorrow

As the stars shone brightly, Zhang Wangyue and Huyan Lei leaped out of the hall and landed in the courtyard under the cover of night.

"It's a communication firework from the escort agency," Hu Yanlei said urgently, looking in the direction the fireworks were blooming in the night sky.

"Something's happened." When Zhang Wangyue said this, he was still in the courtyard. As soon as his voice fell, his burly figure appeared on the courtyard wall five or six zhang away. Then, like a large bird soaring over the city, he quickly disappeared into the night and sped towards Fu'an.

The sounds of fierce fighting spread throughout the escort agency. In Zhou Yan's line of sight, a figure rushed over like lightning. The moment he rushed into the middle, a blade flashed, as powerful as thunder. Zhou Yan, who had abandoned his giant horn bow, grabbed the opponent's wrist with his right hand in mid-air. Just as the opponent's long sword was about to fall, half a foot above his head, he grabbed the opponent's wrist holding the sword and clenched his fist tightly with all five fingers.

"Ah!" A hysterical scream rang out from the burly man whose wrist was twisted like a pretzel. Zhou Yan stepped forward and delivered a vicious "Iron Mountain Lean" to his opponent. The burly man was sent flying through the air, flying several feet away before crashing heavily to the ground, instantly lifeless.

At that moment, Qiu Qianchi landed in the courtyard of the Fu'an Escort Agency. After briefly assessing the situation, she dashed out and charged towards a skilled swordsman who had slashed down a镖师 (bodyguard/escort).

The man twisted and turned, his long sword flowing like water. Qiu Qianchi didn't pause; with a flick of her wrist, her right palm pressed against the blade. The burly man's expression changed drastically, and he retreated hastily. Qiu Qianchi flipped her wrist and struck the man's chest with her palm. The blow was like a hammer blow; the man's chest instantly caved in. She seized the long sword and, in her haste, slashed at a black-clad man wielding a sword. The man swung his sword, and a fierce clang of metal clashing against metal filled the air, sparks flying. The black-clad man was also highly skilled, fiercely fighting Qiu Qianchi. For a moment, the swords flashed and the battle was evenly matched.

At that moment, Lu Beihe emerged from outside the courtyard wall, his toes stomping across the surface as he landed inside like a hawk. He looked around and saw more than a dozen corpses scattered about. Qiu Qianchi and a swordsman were locked in fierce combat, evenly matched. A burly man with a knife came to the aid of the swordsman. Lu Beihe wielded his spear like rain, its movements swift and powerful, the force of his thrusts enough to shatter the earth and shatter rocks. As the surging killing intent spread, the burly man with the knife roared, his backhand slashing with a deafening force towards Lu Beihe. The two engaged in a ferocious exchange, instantly creating a storm of metallic clang.

……

When Zhou Yan and Liang Xiaowu reunited, the young bodyguard who had first spotted the enemy and issued the warning was already half-covered in blood. The four masters—a monk, a nun, and a layman—also descended from the sky in an instant, forming an encirclement around Zhou Yan and Liang Xiaowu.

"Xiao Wu, how are you?"

"A few superficial wounds, nothing serious. This group is ruthless, and we don't know their background. Our escort agency doesn't take on large orders. They weren't robbing any goods." Liang Xiaowu succinctly pointed out the suspicious aspects behind this night raid.

Zhou Yan said in a deep voice, "We will know the identities of these people soon."

"Young man, you've got quite the nerve." The nun in the group of four gave a sinister smile.

The nun's prominent cheekbones and slanted eyebrows softened the gentleness of her otherwise dignified face, making her appear fierce and menacing in the night.

Her words were unrestrained, but inwardly she was anxious. Although the enemy had detected the night raid and sent a warning beforehand, the situation was still completely under control after a very brief battle. She was just waiting to capture a few people, then slaughter them all, ending everything perfectly before leaving, when a powerful and ruthless obstacle appeared. Although she still had ways to control the situation, this operation, regardless of the circumstances, was far from successful due to the large number of casualties. And the culprit behind all of this was the man before her, who looked to be only twenty years old.

"Young man, state your name." As the nun spoke, a delicate porcelain bottle slipped from her sleeve into her palm.

Zhou Yan wouldn't waste any time. He chuckled softly and took a step towards the nun.

Liang Xiaowu crouched down, exerted his strength, and charged out with his knife.

"Come at me together." As the nun said this, her right hand, concealed by her sleeve, did indeed make a very quick and subtle wave.

Before the distance could close, Liang Xiaowu suddenly stopped and shouted as he retreated, "Master Zhou, it's poisonous!"

As soon as Liang Xiaowu finished speaking, he felt a sharp pain in his eyes, tears streamed down his face, and he could hardly open them. His body went numb and weak in an instant, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Seeing Liang Xiaowu's condition, Zhou Yan suddenly remembered a colorless and odorless poisonous gas.

"Sad Breeze" is a liquid made from poisonous substances collected from the Valley of Joy in the Great Snow Mountain of the Western Xia Dynasty. It is usually stored in a bottle. When used, the bottle is uncorked and the poisonous liquid vaporizes and comes out, which feels like a gentle breeze. When the hand is poisoned, tears fall like rain, which is called "sadness". The whole body is unable to move, which is called "soothing". The poisonous gas is colorless and odorless, which is called "breathless breeze".

They were from the Western Xia Yipintang. In a flash, Zhou Yan realized that this group of people, including the nun, were mainly there because of the "Iron Falcon" incident.

As Zhou Yan recited this, his body swayed and he fell to the ground.

Beside the slanted-brow nun, a tall, thin man burst out laughing and walked towards Zhou Yan: "Down with him! Down with him!"

At that moment, Zhou Yan landed on the ground with a "thud," but in an instant, he rolled over and used the "Snake-Shaped Fox Flip" movement technique to appear in front of the tall, thin man and throw a punch.

Upon seeing Zhou Yan fall, the man, likely poisoned and caught off guard, hastily kicked out with his right foot.

Zhou Yan's punch landed on the man's thigh just as he was about to raise his leg.

With a "thud," the satin on the man's leg rippled outwards like waves. He groaned and staggered backward. Zhou Yan, with the agility of a fox, leaped into the air and landed his fist on his chin from below.

The man's head jerked back violently, his face contorted and distorted, his cheeks deformed, and his teeth were ejected from his mouth.

The man retreated step by step, and Zhou Yan followed closely, striking his pressure points.

"Stop being arrogant!" Among the four monks, the monk, the nun, and the nun, the monk clenched his left fist and opened his right palm. His left fist struck with force, striking the entire body with a series of blows, agile movements. His right palm unleashed a surge of internal energy, injuring tendons and bones.

With a tremor of his hands, Zhou Yan unleashed the "Urging Firmness Divine Claw," grabbing the monk's fist with his right hand while simultaneously grasping his pulse with his left. Seeing the fierce claw strike of Zhou Yan, the monk immediately changed his move and retreated rapidly, his fist techniques shifting rapidly. In the blink of an eye, the two were locked in a fierce battle.

The nun brandished her whisk, her figure moving like a ghost as she darted forward. In that instant, Zhou Yan suddenly slashed out with both hands, smashing through the monk's fist stance. His hands, like the mouths of a charging beast, twisted towards the monk's hands.

The monk, feeling overwhelmed, cried out and lunged backward. Zhou Yan's left arm muscles suddenly bulged outward, his arm seemingly growing larger in an instant. With a "snap," Zhou Yan grabbed the monk's wrist. Before the monk could react, his right hand's five fingers flashed in, gripping the monk's bald head. With a "plop," his fingers pierced through.

The nun who had rushed forward felt her hair stand on end. Seeing that Zhou Yan was not afraid of the strange poison and had injured two of her companions with a few moves, she was terrified. How could she dare to fight again? She made a feint and quickly left.

Another of the four masters of Yipintang, a burly man with a broad back and a fierce triangular eye, followed closely behind the nun. Taking the best option, they fled in a frantic run.

Zhou Yan quickly crouched down, searched the monk's corpse, pulled out a porcelain bottle, uncorked it, and a foul stench assaulted his nostrils, making him dizzy.

No problem, this is the antidote!

Zhou Yan stepped to Liang Xiaowu's side, held the porcelain bottle to his nose, and said, "Take a deep sniff."

Liang Xiaowu sniffed hard a few times and said with delight, "Master Zhou, the feeling of weakness in my body has improved a lot."

"Alright, keep a close eye on the prisoners."

Zhou Yan put away the porcelain bottle, picked up a long knife that had fallen to the ground, and used his movement technique to chase after the burly man with triangular eyes who had already leaped over the wall of the escort agency.
(End of this chapter)