The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 57 It's hard to persuade a damned devil with kind words?
Alone between heaven and earth, a gentle breeze sprinkles orchids and snow.

Zhou Yan left with extreme decisiveness; Dugu Qiubai's "Sword Tomb" was now useless to him. There were no martial arts manuals left, only three swords, of which he cherished the Xuan Tie Heavy Sword the most.

The reason is simple: he has a pair of iron arms, and as a镖师 (bodyguard/escort), he learned martial arts in the镖局 (escort agency), seeing many of the eighteen weapons and their corresponding techniques. He is more interested in actual combat, where moves are not bound by form. The Xuan Tie Heavy Sword can perfectly satisfy this preference, allowing him to thrust, chop, slash, smash, and thrust. He can use the moves of knives, swords, maces, spears, and staffs at will.

Hong Qigong said that when drinking, one should drink the strongest liquor, and when using a sword, one should use the hardest sword.

However, Zhou Yan knew that he couldn't handle the Xuan Tie Heavy Sword right now. It weighed seventy or eighty pounds, which was fine to lift, but he was still far from being able to wield it with ease.

Yang Guo practiced his skills in the torrents, while I cultivated myself in the river waves; I understand this method.

A heavy sword has no edge, and great skill appears effortless; one understands the principles, but lacks the necessary understanding.

The giant eagle is quite unkind to me, so why force it? I can wait until I have another opportunity to cultivate the Nine Yin Manual or the Nine Yang Manual, and once I have mastered the technique, it won't be too late to take the sword.

Seeing the giant eagle standing frozen in the valley like a wooden chicken, he left without lingering.

The Nine Yin Manual is an opportunity, and the easiest to obtain, but it can only be acquired after meeting Li Mochou again. The Nine Yang Manual is not easy to cultivate, but Zhou Yan has a premonition that the Jade Guanyin, who can unblock meridians and repair internal ailments, will help him.

While in Snake Valley, not far from the "Sword Tomb," Zhou Yan's thoughts inevitably wandered. After walking half a mile, his mind returned to normal. He noticed large stones blocking the path and earthen pits in the valley, with some bloodstains around them. He suddenly realized what was going on.

During winter, most of the Bosqu snakes hibernate in caves or crevices, except for a very few highly venomous snakes, such as the giant eagle, which are somewhat spiritual, that remain active in the Snake Valley.

He had just rappelled down the cliff when he encountered one of these large venomous snakes.

Thinking this through, Zhou Yan felt there was no need to linger any longer. Time was of the essence; once Zhang Wangyue and the others arrived in Zhongdu, a battle with the Sihai Escort Agency would ensue.

Calculating the timeline, when the Golden Knife Prince Consort arrived in Daxing Prefecture, Mu Nianci held a martial arts contest to choose a husband, and snowflakes fell from the sky. It is still unknown whether Peng Lianhu and his party have headed south, but Guo Jing has either already arrived in Zhongdu or is about to arrive.

If the Thousand-Handed Butcher, the Ghost Gate Dragon King, and others left the Zhao Prince's Mansion, who knows if Guo Jing and the Six Heroes of Jiangnan would assassinate Wanyan Honglie? After all, when the Golden Knife Prince Consort went south, he was tasked with taking the head of the Sixth Prince of the Great Jin Dynasty.

Zhou Yan didn't want to miss the opportunity. If given the chance, he would kill Wanyan Honglie without hesitation, including the Mongol Khan and the Song Dynasty Emperor.

He had another thought: it was fine for the Song emperor to die at the hands of any Han Chinese, but he could not die at the hands of the Mongols or the Jurchens. If that happened, the backbone of the Han people would be broken.

Ha, he's become a radical youth!
With the valley entrance in sight, Zhou Yan's thoughts returned to reality. He chuckled softly, looked around to determine the direction, and when he looked back, he was startled again. The giant eagle had climbed a hilltop at some point and seemed to be gazing into the distance.

The valley was winding and stretched for more than ten miles. When Zhou Yan left the valley, it was already dusk.

The setting sun cast a crimson glow on the corner of the distant mountains. From his perspective, the desolate hills, the setting sun, and the lone eagle created a scene of utter desolation.

Zhou Yan let out a soft breath, withdrew his gaze, took out a sketch from his pocket, compared it with the terrain, and headed southwest. The yellow horse was in the valley where he had first encountered the giant eagle.

After traveling only two or three miles, the setting sun on the nearby hillside seemed to move slightly, and two figures, one black and one white, appeared.

"Both of them have become the Black and White Impermanence."

Zhou Yan cursed and turned to rush towards the valley. His cultivation had greatly increased. He might be able to fight Gongsun Zhi alone, but against two people, running away was the best option.

The Valley Master of Heartless Valley was greatly encouraged. "Haha, what a small world! Kid, where do you think you're going?"

Qiu Qianchi's sharp voice also came from the wind, "You brat, don't run away."

"唳"

Suddenly, a sharp and desolate cry rang out from within, and a large eagle swooped down from the hillside, running swiftly like a galloping horse. All three were startled.

Zhou Yan was puzzled by the eagle's unusual behavior, while Qiu Qianchi and Gongsun Zhi were shocked by its majestic and ugly appearance.

Iron Palm Lotus and the Valley Master of Heartless Valley stopped their pursuit. Zhou Yan also slowed down. The giant eagle that had been hurtling towards them stopped beside Zhou Yan, its blood-red eyes fixed on the two of them.
Zhou Yan was prudent, and Da Diao realized he should help those he knew better than strangers. Assessing their strength, he believed that joining forces with Da Diao should guarantee victory.

Gongsun Zhi and Qiu Qianchi had never seen such an extremely ugly yet majestic eagle before, and the two were somewhat hesitant.

Zhou Yan, holding his bow, said, "Qiu Qianchi, we have no grudge against each other, why are you forcing me?"

Qiu Qianchi said coldly, "Who told you to be with that stinky Taoist nun?"

"Just because of that?"

"Or else?"

"Every man is innocent, but he is guilty of carrying a jade."

Gongsun Zhi said, "He's just a bodyguard who knows a few characters and spouts nonsense. It's utterly laughable."

"The bodyguard knows righteousness, unlike Miss Qiu who can't distinguish right from wrong."

The Valley Master of Heartless Valley scoffed, "What a joke! Escorts walk the path of justice, between the legitimate and the illegitimate, and for petty gains, they would abandon all morality and conscience. How dare you speak ill of Miss Qiu?"

Gongsun Zhi and Qiu Qianchi were unsure of the giant eagle's strength, but they felt that its rapid speed from the hilltop was not to be underestimated. Therefore, while exchanging words with Zhou Yan, they observed and assessed the eagle's strength. This was also partly because they were waiting for Fan Yiweng and the others.

Zhou Yan was well aware of their character; referring to the world of Condor Heroes, Gongsun Zhi was nothing more than a hypocrite with a sanctimonious facade. Qiu Qianchi, on the other hand, was a pitiful person with hateful aspects.

After Gongsun Zhi's sarcastic remarks, Zhou Yan said, "It's true I'm a镖师 (bodyguard/escort), and it's also true I have connections with both the legitimate and illegitimate worlds. But I have a conscience and I value morality. Both the legitimate and illegitimate worlds are places where I can find refuge, yet neither are places where I can truly find refuge. As long as I don't violate the laws of nature, go against the established order, or follow human ethics, my status and circumstances are unimportant. Miss Qiu, what about you? You come from the Iron Palm Clan. What a hero Shangguan Jiannan, the previous leader of the Iron Palm Clan, was! He devoted his life to serving his country and died for it. A true hero. But your brother colluded with the Jurchens, not only betraying his country but also stirring up trouble, hoping to support the Jurchens' southward advance. What's wrong with Master Sun taking action with his sword?"

"You're talking nonsense," Qiu Qianchi cursed.

Iron Palm Lotus: Is it possible that you are unaware of Qiu Qianzhang's actions? That person is skilled at disguise.

"Whether I'm talking nonsense or not is hard to verify. Miss Qiu, why don't you ask the people your brother has been in contact with and you'll find out for sure? To put it another way, it's understandable that Miss Qiu is helping her relatives, but Master Sun is in the right and has a sense of righteousness. You could have just repelled him, why did you have to kill him all? The reason I helped the Master is that I know the Seven Masters of Quanzhen are chivalrous and righteous. Even though they know their martial arts are weak, they still adhere to the principles in their hearts. Miss Qiu, what about you? Do you have any principles?"

Zhou Yan's words were spoken with utmost politeness and restraint, leaving no room for argument.

Iron Palm Lotus was taken aback. Zhou Yan said, "Miss Qiu, Valley Master Gongsun is no good man. The night before last, I overheard your conversation with him from just a few feet below the cliff. If he were truly a man of great talent and ambition, he should have asked you about the cause of this matter, understood it clearly, and acted accordingly. But the Valley Master, without any explanation, led his disciples to search for me and the Daoist Master around Xiangyang. He was merely flattering you."

Gongsun Zhi's mind was now settled, but he lacked the cunning and shrewdness of the Condor Heroes. Upon hearing Zhou Yan's words, he hurriedly said, "Miss Qiu, don't listen to this boy's nonsense."

Zhou Yan laughed and said, "I think you're just after Miss Qiu's martial arts and the strength of the Iron Palm Clan. Miss Qiu, from your helping your relatives to chasing down Master Sun, it's not hard to see your personality. You're strong-willed and extremely controlling. Do you think someone as cunning and scheming as Valley Master Gongsun would willingly obey orders? Don't be used and fall into a place of no return."

“Miss Qiu, this young man is trying to sow discord.”

Zhou Yan chuckled, "Miss Qiu, with your personality, you should have used the Iron Palm Clan's power to achieve something great. Even without relying on your brother, what difficulty would it be to make a name for yourself as a chivalrous hero? The other night on the cliff, Valley Master Gongsun tried to trick me into showing myself. His words and tricks were hardly those of a Valley Master; he was more like a clown. I truly feel sorry for you. Alright, that's enough said. There's no point in saying more. Either bring it on, or we can each take a step back."

Qiu Qianchi's expression shifted, a mixture of emotions swirling within her.

　I was rushing to finish my draft and was preparing to add an extra chapter. I didn't go to sleep until 4 a.m., but I overslept and the update is a bit late. Sorry!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)