The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 34 Yellow River Ferry Crossing, Iron Spear Mu Yi

The wind howled as it swept through the courtyard of the security escort agency, swirling under the eaves.

Cui Changshun has already been imprisoned, and Duan Huai'an would not agree to Shi Baichuan's immediate act of leading men to retaliate in Sihai. He asked Zhang Wangyue, "What does the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) think we should do?"

After weighing the options, Zhang Wangyue said, "This matter involves Chief Escort Shi and Escort Cui. Chief Escort Shi is still on a mission in Sichuan. This matter should not be publicized. We should wait for Chief Escort Shi to return and then handle it separately from other matters."

Duan Huai'an nodded: "That's quite appropriate. Cui Changshun was going to make this delivery anyway. Being imprisoned and guarded, he shouldn't be able to keep a word of it. I just don't know if the owner of Sihai is aware of this matter."

Shi Baichuan said, "Sihai and Fu'an have been at odds for a long time. Since Escort Su and Escort Lu are from Sihai, they are inextricably linked to Lei Luo."

Duan Huai'an looked at Zhou Yan: "You're so quick-witted. What's your take on this?"

Zhou Yan said, "The head镖师 is right, the goods being transported are the most important. However, after this incident, the conflict between Fu'an and Sihai will likely escalate from covert to overt, and only one of the two镖局 can survive in the middle."

Duan Huai'an looked at Zhang Wangyue.

The head镖师 nodded slightly.

Dongjiadao:
"Okay, I understand."

……

It was as if nothing had ever happened.

The crowing of a rooster is auspicious, and being in the middle of the night is auspicious.

Before dawn, the porters, servants, and grooms in Fu'an were already busy preparing for the escort mission.

Firecrackers hung outside the magnificent gate tower, and pine firewood for warding off evil and disaster was burning in black basins placed in courtyards of all sizes.

The courier would place a hidden lock on the cargo box and insert a small triangular flag.

Zhou Yan, Wang Kui, Shi Baichuan, and others were all at the martial arts arena.

Huyan Lei took the gold-inlaid tiger-head spear, flicked his wrist, and the iron spear emitted a low hum in the morning light.

"When this shipment returns, I will personally pick out those two filthy and despicable people surnamed Su and Lu."

Zhou Yan now has a close relationship with the three bodyguards. Hu Yanlei, who came over in the morning, was furious when he heard what had happened the night before. He complained to Shi Baichuan, "You should have arranged for someone to inform me."

The bodyguard looked completely innocent.

Zhou Yan said with a smile, "Boss and head镖师 are farsighted. This escort mission is also special. As the saying goes, 'a small act of impatience can ruin a big plan.' There will be plenty of time for you to settle accounts when we get back."

"I feel a little better now that you've said that."

Hu Yanlei took the holster from his waist, put it on the broad spearhead, and said to Zhou Yan, "You pick a weapon too."

"Then let's use a knife." He had now mastered the Five Tigers Severing Gate Knife Technique, so he chose a straight knife.

The bodyguard Wang Kui then sheathed his gleaming, cleaned longsword and slung it at his waist.

Shi Baichuan's weapon is an iron fan, which he usually carries with him.

With weapons and bows at his waist, Zhou Yan was ready. Hu Yanlei said to Wang Kui, "We'll go ahead first."

"okay!"

Zhou Yan, Hu Yanlei, and Shi Baichuan were in charge of the mule and horse caravan. They needed to leave the city first, drive the mules and horses out of the horse stables, and gather them together.

The other goods were escorted by the head镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) Zhang Wangyue, Wang Kui, and several镖师 (bodyguards/escorts).

The three men, accompanied by twenty-eight skilled riders and ten grooms, bid farewell to their employer.

Duan Huai'an had already prepared a farewell drink. He would drink before leaving, hoping for a smooth journey and a safe return. Once outside the escort agency, he would have to abide by the thirty-six rules of Fu'an: no alcohol, and no staying in brothels or other establishments.

When the wine reached Zhou Yan, he held the bowl with both hands and drank it all in one gulp. The strong liquor felt like it was burning his throat.

Duan Huai'an patted Zhou Yan on the shoulder: "Raise your cup to gaze at the blue sky, tread on mountains and rivers. When you go, you are like a dragon entering the sea; when you return, you are like a dragon entering the clouds."

The master's earnest words and heartfelt sentiments indicated that Zhou Yan, after this experience, would return as one of the pillars of the escort agency. He was extremely accurate in judging people; otherwise, when Shi Xiangui was on a mission, he would not have told his son Duan Chaoxi that Zhou Yan was the future of Fu'an.

"Thank you, boss!"

Duan Huai'an nodded.

The wind rustled by, the leaves swayed, and Zhou Yan and the others, having finished their drinks, headed straight for the stables.

Upon seeing Zhou Yan, the "Jade Lion Under the Night" snorted loudly, sending out two plumes of white vapor that lingered a foot in length. "What a fine horse!" Shi Baichuan exclaimed in admiration.

Hu Yanlei's black horse, Shi the镖师's yellow horse, and "Night-Shining Jade Lion" were led out one after another from the side gate of the镖局 (镖局 is a type of security agency). Zhou Yan and the others mounted their horses, and the sound of hooves thundered into the distance.

The three men each led a group of men to oversee three horse stables. Before Yu Zhong arrived, nearly three hundred mules and horses had gathered together. Zhou Yan could see over two hundred and forty fine horses. The rest were mules.

Just as Zhang Wangyue had predicted, these horses ultimately ended up in the military camp.

Huyan Lei arranged for his messengers to ride into the city to report that the mules and horses were ready.

At the stroke of midnight, Zhang Wangyue, who had already drunk a farewell toast in the courtyard of the Fu'an Escort Agency, shouted: "Raise the escort flag!"

The lead caravan raised the banner of the Fu'an Escort Agency with a swift motion. The banner fluttered, the carts rumbled, the horses neighed, and the escorts, each with bows and arrows at their waists, marched out of the agency amidst deafening firecrackers, disappearing into the distance with shouts of "Take care!"

The two groups of people met southwest of Zhongdu city, and mules were led out to pull carts.

The cavalry led the way, followed by the镖队 (bodyguards), heading straight for the Baoding Prefecture area.

The autumn wind swept through Zhongdu.

As the saying goes, "A horse won't get fat without night grass, and a person won't get rich without windfall gains," so all sorts of scoundrels and villains who had their eyes on the goods flocked out of the city.

A breeze begins with a ripple on the water, and a wave is formed from a gentle ripple.

……

After the caravan passed Baoding Prefecture, there were no more large and prosperous cities along the way.

But it should have been a densely populated village.

However, as Zhou Yan traveled along the way, he did not see the scene of "distant villages shrouded in mist, smoke rising from ruins. Dogs barking in deep alleys, roosters crowing atop mulberry trees." The Jin Dynasty had launched several southern expeditions, searching mountains and seas, leaving behind only the desolation of "lonely villages under the setting sun, wisps of smoke rising from old trees and crows in the cold."

However, the journey was peaceful and nothing unexpected happened.

After nearly a month, Zhou Yan, Hu Yanlei, and others arrived at Fenglingdu first.

Zhou Yan had no free time on the journey. He escorted goods during the day and camped at night, so he practiced the Quanzhen internal energy cultivation method. Thanks to the fact that he could concentrate his energy even when he was sleeping, his internal strength gradually increased. He thought that after crossing the Yellow River, he could try to temper and unblock the Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian during the escort team's camping. Once he succeeded, he would be able to leap ten feet high with his energy.

The setting sun casts its last rays, and the clouds and rosy hues seem to burn.

Fenglingdu on the north bank of the Yellow River was bustling with activity, filled with the sounds of donkeys braying, horses neighing, people, and vehicles. Winter had arrived, and the Yellow River was neither frozen nor flowing with its usual torrents due to the low water level, making it an ideal time to cross.

"Yu..." came the sound of a horse neighing.

The white horse is as white as snow, the black horse is as black as charcoal.

Zhou Yan and Hu Yanlei dismounted.

The two went to the ferry to inquire about the situation, while the horse team and the escort team were more than ten miles behind.

The largest inn in town was called "Andu Old Inn," a name chosen for its auspicious meaning of safe passage across the river. This inn had spacious rooms and attracted many merchants.

Crossing the river by mules, horses, and caravans takes at least a full day, so many guest rooms need to be booked for the caravan members to rest.

Zhou Yan and Hu Yanlei tossed the reins to their servant and headed towards the inn. Merchants from the north and south, as well as wealthy foreigners, could all be seen outside the inn. Out of professional instinct, the two men glanced around as they walked.

Hu Yanlei's gaze fell on a cart.

The cart was adorned with bound brocade banners, and on either side of it were an iron spear and two short iron halberds. A pair of people, who appeared to be father and daughter, were packing their belongings.

Zhou Yan followed the镖师's gaze and saw that the man was dressed in coarse linen clothes, with a thick waist and broad shoulders, a burly figure, but a slightly hunched back, graying temples, and a face full of wrinkles, looking very distressed. The girl was dressed in fine clothes, about seventeen or eighteen years old, standing tall and graceful. Although her face showed signs of weariness, she had bright eyes and white teeth, and was pretty.

Zhou Yan's gaze then fell on the cart, where he saw the rolled-up banners, iron spears, and short halberds.

His face turned strange.

Mu Yi, Mu Nianci.

Yang Tiexin, whom the Golden Knife Prince Consort encountered in Zhongdu during his southward journey, is now in Fenglingdu.

If the timeline and storyline of The Legend of the Condor Heroes remain largely unchanged, they should have crossed the river, stayed at an inn, and then traveled to Daxing Prefecture.

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(End of this chapter)