The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 329 The tip of the iceberg, a bond of brotherhood
When the Mongol soldiers surrounded them, the fleeing crowd scattered in all directions, hiding in the shadows cast by the rows of buildings.

"Chief镖师 Zhang, has something happened at the镖局?" A loud voice came from the gatehouse.

Guo Jing had some connections with the Fu'an Escort Agency, a fact known to the Mongol nobles and garrison officers in the city. Furthermore, the story of Zhou Yan rescuing Princess Huazheng had already spread among the imperial envoys who had traveled south to Lin'an.

Therefore, the Fu'an Escort Agency enjoyed many privileges without anyone noticing. Once the Fu'an escort flag was planted, even during the war between Mongolia and the Jin Dynasty, the escort team could enter and leave the city gates without any hindrance in Mongolian territory.

There would be no officials coming to cause trouble for the Fu'an Escort Agency, and Zhou Yan's "Night-Shining Jade Lion" would even attract the attention of soldiers when entering and leaving the capital.

A fight broke out outside the escort agency between Yipintang and Huangchengsi. The sounds carried, and it was unclear whether a watchman or someone else relayed the message. Just as Ouyang Feng left, a centurion arrived with his soldiers. The members of Huangchengsi and Yipintang, along with Yang Kang's subordinates Sha Tongtian and Helian Chuncheng, who had been lying in wait but had not yet made a move, quickly departed.

Upon hearing the question from the Mongol centurion, Zhang Wangyue said to Zhou Yan, "I'll go and deal with it."

"it is good!"

Zhang Wangyue cupped his hands towards Hong Qigong on the roof of the council hall and said, "Greetings, Chief Hong."

"Easy to say!"

After saying hello, Zhang Wangyue quickly left.

"Seventh Master, come down and have a seat."

"Chief Hong, it's been a long time." Zhang Sanqiang clasped his hands in greeting.

Hong Qigong took a big gulp from his wine gourd. "This old beggar is tied up with something and can't stay long. When I'm free, I'll have another drink with you and Master Zhang."

After saying this, Hong Qigong rose and rode away under the moonlight.

Liang Xiaowu led his men to collect the corpses and tidy up the ruins. Zhou Yan said to Zhang Sanqiang, "Leader Zhang, please come into the hall to talk."

"it is good!"

The two entered the council hall. Mu Nianci brought a pot of wine and then left. After exchanging toasts, Zhou Yan asked, "Why did Sect Leader Zhang come to Zhongdu?"

"After the branch in Jingzhou was exposed, the court continued to investigate and suppress the disciples in various places. They discussed with Left Envoy Huo and others about developing followers in the north."

"That's a good choice, at least the imperial court in Lin'an is too far away to reach us."

"I thought so too. Also, I wanted to go to the Persian headquarters to retrieve the sacred flame and see if the Mongol war in the Western Regions had affected Persia. In the evening, while drinking at the 'Songhelou' restaurant, I overheard merchants from the Western Regions mentioning the war. Fu'an, who travels north and south as a caravan, came to inquire, but I never expected these things to happen."

Zhang Sanqiang would never ask why the people from Yipintang and Huangchengsi were targeting Fu'an.

Zhou Yan wouldn't explain further. As for Persia, it had indeed submitted to the Mongol cavalry, but not during Genghis Khan's current westward expedition.

He said, "Fu'an once made a trip to the Western Regions with a caravan and became enemies with Yipintang, which is why they came with such a large force. The caravan also knows some information about the Western Regions. The Khan is mainly targeting Khwarazm, and Persia has not been affected by the war."

As soon as Zhou Yan finished speaking, he couldn't help but think of Zhang Sanqiang's words. Zhang Sanqiang had said he intended to develop Manichaeism in the north, and his trip was from the Western Regions to Persia. Could it be that the Ming Cult's headquarters was located at Bright Peak, and that was related to Zhang Sanqiang's trip?

Upon hearing Zhou Yan's words, Zhang Sanqiang nodded and said, "Very good, thank you for telling me, Brother Zhou."

"You're too kind, Master."

Before curfew, Zhang Sanqiang raised his glass: "We've traveled thousands of miles to Persia, but we won't waste any time."

"Take care on your journey!" Zhou Yan raised his glass.

The two drank their wine in one gulp. Zhang Sanqiang got up and left the hall, with Zhou Yan seeing him off. Once inside the courtyard, he didn't go through the main gate. Instead, he took Huo Zuoshi and leaped onto the roof, disappearing as if flying.

A joyful atmosphere had already spread throughout the courtyard of the escort agency. The beginning of this evening's events was far more dangerous than the attack on Fu'an by Abbess Shengyin and others. Unexpectedly, the process was reversed. Apart from Hu Yanlei and eight others, the remaining escorts and porters did not participate in the battle, and only two escorts were injured.

Hu Yanlei walked over to Zhou Yan and said in a good mood, "This Eight Formations is truly mysterious. If seven people with cultivation levels comparable to the Chief Escort were to form the formation, the White-Faced Swordsman would have no chance of escaping unscathed."

"What you say is true, brother. However, if we encounter bandits again while escorting goods, the escorts and bodyguards can form a battle formation to ensure the safety of the goods."

"Indeed."

Wang Kui, Mu Nianci, Qiu Qianchi, and Yang Tiexin also came over. Qiu Qianchi said, "It's strange. Why does Li Wuxiang of Yipintang know the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms? The techniques of Zhang Jiaozhu and the young master who uses a sword to shift palm force seem to come from the same lineage. Why did his accomplice attack the chief镖头 (chief镖头, a high-ranking镖师, a bodyguard) but he stopped Ouyang Feng?"

Zhou Yan, finding it difficult to explain, changed the subject, saying, "Perhaps Chief Hong's hasty departure is related to Li Wuxiang's mastery of the Dragon Subduing Palm Technique."

“That’s how it should be.” Qiu Qianchi nodded.

Zhang Wangyue walked over from the corridor at that moment and said, "A group of Mongol soldiers on night patrol heard about the fighting and reported it to the centurion. The other side brought men over."

“So that’s how it is,” Zhou Yan said.

"Brother Zhou, do you know the origins of those two sword masters?"

“I met him in Jingzhou and Xiangyang. The older one was Li Taiping, and the other was Li Yan, who was the chief of the Imperial City Guard.”

Zhang Wangyue was stunned for a moment.

Clouds obscured half the moonlight, leaving only a dim, deep yellow lamplight in the courtyard. Beside the scattered stone table and benches stood towering trees.

Ancient trees, caressed by the night breeze, their branches swaying gently, white mist floating in the air.

Zhang Wangyue went to the stone bench, helped it up, and sat down on it. In the cool evening air, the bluebird of memory returned.

"She must be sent to Chongyang Palace in Zhongnan Mountain."

"I would go through fire and water, even unto death, without hesitation."

"Go!" "Kill! Where do you think you're going?"

……

"Chief Escort Zhang." Qiu Qianchi's voice brought Zhang Wangyue back to his senses. She was a very observant person. Seeing that the chief escort of Fu'an seemed uneasy, she stepped forward and said, "I'll take the men back first."

Zhang Wangyue stood up. "Thank you, Chief Qiu."

"No need for formalities, we're family. I'm leaving now."

"I'll give this to Sister Qiu."

"Thank you for your help, Sister Mu."

After Mu Nianci and Qiu Qianchi left, Hu Yanlei, Wang Kui, Yang Tiexin and others looked at Zhou Yan.

"Let's tidy up the courtyard," Zhou Yan said.
"okay!"

The group walked towards the ruins. Zhang Wangyue found himself surrounded by emptiness. He looked at the silhouettes of Zhou Yan and the others under the moonlight, then gazed into the unobstructed depths of the night sky.

Under the silvery light, the outline of the Western Hills undulated, and Zhang Wangyue seemed to see the Great Wall weaving through the clouds.

Eight thousand miles of road, clouds and moon.

Zhang Wangyue withdrew his gaze, stood up and leaped onto the roof. His gray figure appeared and disappeared among the undulating buildings of Zhongdu City, extending towards his solitary courtyard.

In the stillness of the night, the ancient trees stand tall and majestic.

Upon seeing a figure land, Zhang Wangyue walked across the courtyard, arrived at the bedroom, and squatted down to take out a gun holster from under the bed.

The moonlight streamed in through the window, casting a silvery glow. Zhang Wangyue slowly removed the holster, revealing an iron spear with fine, hair-like red markings on its black body. The moment the holster was completely removed, a tiger-headed spear, as thick as a coiled bronze rod, was revealed in Zhang Wangyue's sight.

He held the gun in both hands, and the large gun, which had been dormant in the cloth bag for who knows how many years, began to hum and vibrate, like the roar of a dragon!

……

The ruins inside the courtyard of the Fu'an Escort Agency had been cleared away. Zhou Yan, Hu Yanlei, Yang Tiexin, Mu Nianci, Wang Kui and others sat on stone benches under the ancient trees.

"Brother Zhou, where did you think the chief镖头 (chief镖师, the head镖师) went?"

Zhou Yan had suspected that the human convoy Zhang Wangyue was escorting was in Zhongdu City, but given the Mongol siege of Zhongdu, he hadn't seen the other party show any unease. Zhou Yan figured he must have guessed wrong. Now that Huyan Lei had asked, he replied, "Not sure, but..."

Zhou Yan thought for a moment and said, "I reckon the chief镖头 (chief镖师, head镖师) and Fu'an are about to say goodbye."

"Ah!" Mu Nianci exclaimed in surprise.

Hu Yanlei realized what was happening and burst into laughter, "I've been waiting for this day!"

Suddenly, Zhou Yan looked into the distance, and everyone followed suit. Zhang Wangyue, holding a tiger-headed spear, passed through the silver dust and landed in the courtyard.

Hu Yanlei's pupils widened, "This is..."

Zhang Wangyue said, "The tiger-headed spear used by our ancestor was forged from fine iron and black gold, and was named 'Burning Sun'."

"Chief镖头... what is this?" Wang Kui asked cautiously.

"Brothers, Brother Yang, Miss Mu, listen to me."

Zhang Wangyue sat on a stone bench, with the "Burning Sun" symbol embedded in the ground beside him. He said, "Brother Zhou, do you still remember the Imperial City Guard's swift journey to Zhongdu three years ago?"

Zhou Yan laughed and said, "Of course I remember. After that incident, the chief镖头 (chief镖头) treated me like a brother and even gave me the 'Yue Family Boxing Manual'."

Zhang Wangyue also laughed, "Indeed, I didn't expect that three years later, the Imperial City Guard personnel would come to Zhongdu again, and with a clear purpose. Everyone saw Li Taiping and Li Yan's skills, which are no less than those of Qiu Qianren and Zhang Sanqiang."

Hu Yanlei and Wang Kui nodded, "That's right!"

"So as long as I am in Fu'an, the Imperial City Guard will keep sending people to capture me, and I cannot implicate my employer or Fu'an."

Qiu Qianchi felt her breathing quicken; the scene before her was eerily similar to the experiences of Han Dang and Lu Beihe of the Zhenwei Escort Agency in Kaifeng.

"Chief Escort Zhang can go to Funiu Mountain or Zhenyuan Escort Agency. You can take charge of the agency."

"I'm going to Funiu Mountain."

"And me!" Hu Yanlei immediately said.
"Count me in," Wang Kui said.

Mu Nianci looked at Yang Tiexin, the weathered man, and said, "Going to Funiu Mountain to fight the Jin people and avenge my sworn brother is my long-cherished dream."

On his way there and back, Zhang Wangyue had already been thinking about this. He said, "The Imperial City Guard only captured me. The brothers are still at the escort agency, but they can go to Zhenyuan. The boss is very kind. Brother Wang and Brother Shi can stay in Fu'an. It's not too late to go to Zhenyuan when a master escort stands out and can take charge of the overall situation."

“Alright, I’ll listen to the chief镖头 (chief镖头 is a nickname for a镖局, meaning镖局 is a type of镖局) in China. Anyway, the two镖局 are neighbors and are practically one family.”

“Brother Zhou, is this arrangement appropriate?” Zhang Wangyue asked.

Zhou Yan smiled slightly, "I even have the urge to go to Zhenyuan to become a bodyguard."

Huyan Lei laughed heartily: "That's great! Once we get to Zhenyuan, we'll prepare our troops and fight the Jurchens and Mongols to our hearts' content. That way, we won't have lived in vain and we'll have lived up to our ancestors' expectations."

Qiu Qianchi was filled with longing, his mind filled with images of the Huyan family spear, the Zhang family spear, the Yang family spear, the Yue family spear, and the Lu family spear, as well as the Yang family's "Rain of Pear Blossoms Spear" with its golden spears and iron horses, and the scene of clouds and moon over eight thousand miles of road.

(End of this chapter)