The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 5: The bigger the tree, the more the wind blows; the more famous one is, the more jealousy arises.

Zhou Yan silently memorized the techniques, and by the time Hong Qigong finished demonstrating a set of fist techniques, he had already mastered a significant portion of them. With further instruction from the Beggars' Sect leader, he learned all thirty-six forms of the "Free and Easy Wandering" style and the breathing techniques in less than three hours.

He didn't covet the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms at all. This set of fist techniques could make up for his shortcomings in movement and internal strength, making it suitable for laying the foundation for his internal martial arts practice.

Hong Qigong praised Zhou Yan's comprehension and said, "Boy, let's practice."

"it is good!"

He and Hong Qigong launched their attacks simultaneously, one starting from the left and the other from the right, swirling and flitting like two butterflies among flowers, perfectly embodying the word "carefree".

Li Mochou was captivated by Zhou Yan's memory and comprehension. She was secretly alarmed by his skill and knew she couldn't possibly reach such a level in three hours. Thinking this, she suddenly felt a sense of crisis and vowed that once she returned to the Ancient Tomb, she would humbly seek knowledge from her master and practice diligently without ceasing.

The "Free and Easy Wandering" technique was incorporated into "Wandering the Four Seas." The two practiced it, and when they reached the last move, Hong Qigong laughed loudly, "How wonderful! Let's go!"

He used his lightness skill, like a long dragon traveling through the sky, tearing through the wind and dust, disappearing into the night.

Throughout the entire ordeal, Hong Qigong never asked Zhou Yan or Li Mochou their names.

Zhou Yan muttered to himself, "This is truly a case of a dragon appearing and disappearing without a trace, accomplishing its task and leaving without taking any credit or fame."

Only then did Li Mochou realize that the beggar's martial arts skills were actually so high.

"Hey, why is he missing a finger?"

"you saw it."

"Ah."

“You are quite observant,” Zhou Yan said. “The senior was a glutton, and because of his gluttony, he neglected an important matter. So he cut off a finger as a warning.”

"Ah!" Li Mochou exclaimed in surprise, "You know the senior?"

"I've only heard of his deeds; he was the leader of the Beggars' Sect."

"I've heard of Hong Qigong, the leader of the Beggars' Sect, but I never imagined he was like this."

"What do you think? He's burly and imposing, with an air of authority even without anger."

"That's about right. By the way, how do I beat you in a year?"

"I'll take you to Zhongdu for sightseeing."

"Don't lie to me."

"On the condition that you beat me."

"We'll see!"

Li Mochou stood with her hands behind her back, gazing at the sky. The clouds dispersed, and moonlight spilled through the gaps in the clouds, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene. She thought to herself that Zhou Yan's archery skills were unparalleled; she would have to learn a hidden weapon technique to counter him when she returned.

Li Mochou laughed.

……

As dawn broke and the air still carried the chill of the previous night, Zhou Yan and Li Mochou bid each other farewell and went their separate ways at the fork in the road. One headed straight for Zhongnan Mountain, while the other rode alone to Zhongdu.

Zhou Yan rode at full speed and arrived in Daxing Prefecture three days later.

The streets were bustling with people and the markets were thriving. Red pavilions and painted towers, embroidered doors and vermilion gates. Carved carriages jostled and horses galloped. Gold and jade gleamed in the sun, and the air was filled with the fragrance of silk and brocade. What a magnificent and prosperous scene!

He knew the way well and headed straight for the security escort agency.

……

Fu'an Escort Agency is a large mansion with five courtyards. The entrance is a tall and neat gatehouse, built of bricks, with a gable roof decorated with exquisite ornaments. A pair of white stone lions squat at the entrance, exuding a majestic aura.

The main personnel, including the head镖师 (镖头,镖师,镖师,镖手, etc.), numbered over seventy. If you include the servants and coachmen, the total number was several hundred.

Amidst the chaos of the world, the escort agency's business flourished. Zhou Yan was the youngest escort in the agency; his martial arts skills were secondary, but his archery was unmatched, which is why he was highly valued. The escort agency didn't keep idle people; they earned their living through their abilities.

He dismounted, and a porter came forward to greet him warmly: "Brother Zhou is back."

"Ok!"

"I'd like to invite you for tea and a storytelling session tonight. It'll be a welcome dinner to wash you away the dust of your journey."

"I'm tired, I'll rest for the night and treat you later." "How can I? Let's arrange to meet another day, it's on me, it's settled then."

"also!"

Regardless of social status, everyone is striving for advancement. In the eyes of the镖师 (bodyguards/escorts), Zhou Yan has a promising future in the镖局 (bodyguard agency), and is therefore someone worth befriending.

The servant led the horse through the side gate straight to the stable.

As Zhou Yan walked through the corridors and buildings, he was constantly greeted with enthusiastic greetings.

"Brother Zhou is back."

"It feels like three autumns have passed since I last saw Brother Zhou."

"I envy your skin that never gets tanned. Every time I come back from a cargo escort mission, my wife always complains that my face looks like it's covered in soot and won't let me get into bed."

Whether it was enthusiasm or harmless jokes, the bodyguards and porters I encountered all expressed goodwill.

Zhou Yan responded to each of the questions, then went straight to the accounting office and handed over the escort order.

He was a messenger, and the employer had already paid the escort fee. Once the escort order was delivered to the accounting office, the escort mission was considered complete.

"Congratulations, Brother Zhou, on your successful escort mission. Keep up the good work in the future." This was Zhou Yan's first time escorting goods alone, and the accountant offered these encouraging words.

"Thank you, sir. Are you available for escort missions recently?"

The accountant kept his mouth shut and said with a smile, "Take a good rest for two days. You are young and promising, and you are a key bodyguard that the chief bodyguard is cultivating. You will definitely get your share."

"Alright, that's good enough. I'm off!"

"Go ahead," the accountant waved.

Zhou Yan wanted to go on a delivery mission, hoping to find a way to get a shipment to places like Xiangyang or Xiangbei, so he could get a feel for the local situation and gather information to make it easier for him to visit Dugu Qiubai's "Sword Tomb" and Iron Palm Peak in the future.

He had long since fully integrated with the original owner's memories, but adapting to the life and environment of a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) required time. Therefore, he spoke less and observed more. After returning from his镖师 mission, he could rest for two days; he didn't want to linger at the镖局 (escort agency). Returning by the same route, he passed the martial arts training ground, only to hear strange, masculine voices coming from there.

"Our bodyguard Zhou is back."

Hearing the obviously unfriendly tone, Zhou Yan frowned slightly and looked over.

There were six or seven people in the arena. The one speaking was a portly man in his thirties, holding an iron abacus in his hand.

He easily retrieved the other party's information from the original owner's memories.

Like himself, he was a bodyguard named Cui Qingshan, nicknamed "Full of Stars," and his weapon was an iron abacus.

The abacus is an unorthodox weapon, but if one truly masters its use, wielding it to smash and break bones and skulls is no problem. It can also be used as a shield to block attacks, or to disarm someone.

Cui Qingshan could also use the abacus beads as hidden weapons, scattering them like a celestial maiden scattering flowers, with unparalleled power, hence his nickname "Starry Sky".

The original owner had just been promoted to bodyguard and had no interaction with the other party. Zhou Yan greeted him from afar: "Yes, you're back. Bodyguard Cui is practicing martial arts!"

"That's right, this body can't be idle. Master Zhou is young and already skilled, let's have a friendly spar."

"Good!" Several scouts cheered.

Another slinger, Hu Yanlei, who was familiar with the original owner, said, "Sparring should be done at the right time. Brother Zhou has just returned and looks exhausted. Why hasn't anyone invited him for tea to relax?"

"Brother Lei, we haven't received our monthly pay yet," one of the porters said.

"I think the monthly allowance went to the girls at the Red Sleeve Pavilion," Hu Yanlei laughed and cursed, tossing his iron spear to the porters and walking straight to Zhou Yan. "Come on, let's go drink."

"Really?"

"Nonsense."

As the two walked forward, Hu Yanlei said, "Master Cui went to great lengths to get his nephew promoted to bodyguard, but you were the only one who got promoted. He's a little resentful."

"I see. No wonder your tone was unfriendly."

"A tall tree catches the wind, and a famous person attracts jealousy. Who told you to be so capable at such a young age?" Hu Yanlei chuckled. "Never mind him. With us backing you up, if you want to establish yourself in the escort agency and become a famous escort, you need to have the heart of a tiger."

Zhou Yandao:
"Words of wisdom indeed."

(End of this chapter)