The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 67 The Northern Dragon Crosses the Yellow River
"Miss Mu, please rest for a while."

"Oh, I see."

Zhou Yan, Wang Kui, Hu Yanlei, and Yang Tiexin sat together on the edge of the martial arts arena.

The bodyguard Wang Kui recounted what he had witnessed: Lei Luo, the owner of Sihai, arrived at the escort agency carrying a bundle of thorns.

Upon hearing this, Hu Yanlei smiled and asked Zhou Yan, "Do you think the master will take a thorn cane and whip the Four Seas Master a few times?"

"If I were the boss, I would give him a good beating, and a good beating on the buttocks."

Wang Kui and Hu Yanlei laughed.

Yang Tiexin smiled too; the bodyguards before him all resembled his sworn brothers in character—loyal, righteous, and upright.

As this thought crossed his mind, the wind and snow blurred his vision, and twenty years seemed to unfold like a painting. Yang Tiexin's thoughts flew to Niujia Village in Lin'an Prefecture.

Silver fluff flew in the sky, and jade-like snow covered the ground. My sister-in-law and wife, Bao, sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) sewing shoe soles, while I and my sworn brother drank wine and admired the snow, thoroughly enjoying ourselves. And then...

Yang Tiexin sighed softly to himself. Ten years have passed, and we are separated by life and death. A lonely grave a thousand miles away, with no one to share my sorrow.

A small stove was burning by the side of the field, where brick tea with salt and bupleurum was being brewed.

Mu Nianci walked over, first wiping her face with a clean towel, then brushing away the snowflakes from her hair. She glanced at her father, then picked up the teapot and a stack of porcelain bowls and went over.

As Zhou Yan watched Mu Nianci approach, he quickly got up and moved a stone lock over to the ground.

Mu Nianci bent down to pour tea, "Father, Huyan Escort, Wang Escort, Zhou Escort, please have some tea."

"Thank you, Miss Mu." Zhou Yan replied, took the teacup and handed it to Yang Tiexin first, then to Hu Yanlei and Wang Kui in turn.

Mu Nianci poured tea, put the teapot back, and began practicing alone on the field with her spear.

"Miss Mu, please rest for a while," Zhou Yan said.

"Not tired. My marksmanship isn't quite there yet; I'll be taking the test soon."

Wang Kui chuckled, “You have the same ruthlessness in practicing martial arts as Escort Zhou. When we were escorting goods to Jingzhou, while the caravan was camping, he would practice martial arts, burning the midnight oil until dawn. Later on, Escort Huyan, Escort Shi, and I were all ashamed and started practicing too.”

"So that's how he improved his martial arts skills," Mu Nianci thought to herself. Coming back to her senses, she replied to the bodyguard Wang Kui with a charming smile, "How could I possibly have Zhou's talent for martial arts? I can only hope that hard work can make up for my shortcomings."

Her words drew praise from Hu Yanlei and Wang Kui, who said that Yang Tiexin had a good daughter.

As Zhou Yan watched Mu Nianci practice the Yue Family Spear technique meticulously, he thought to himself that the Mu Nianci who had suffered a tragic life in the martial arts world of Legend of the Condor Heroes was probably gone forever.

As the group chatted and laughed, Lei Luo, the owner of Sihai, emerged from the distant corridor. Hu Yanlei glanced at him and said with a smile, "This is going to be interesting."

Lei Luo's gaze lingered on the martial arts arena for a few moments, and he sighed inwardly.

Amidst the freezing snow and howling winds, the镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) of Fu'an were still practicing their martial arts in the training grounds, while the镖师 of Sihai (bodyguards/escorts from all over the world) only knew how to huddle around the stove, gossiping about which widow was having an affair and who had gained favor in a brothel. Fu'an's镖师 cultivated their martial arts and strengthened their bones, while Sihai's镖师 cultivated their minds and refined their tongues. Alas…

……

When Lei Luo entered the council hall of Fu'an, he saw Duan Huai'an and Zhang Wangyue drinking tea and chatting.

He composed himself, bowed deeply, and said with deep regret, "Manager Duan, Escort Zhang, please forgive me for any offense I have caused. I was blinded by greed and acted foolishly. Please give me a couple of slaps."

Duan Huai'an stood up solemnly, took the thorny branch, and said, word by word, "It is understandable for colleagues to be jealous of each other, but Manager Lei should never have spent so much money to hire someone to kill him. This blow is for the porter who died in Fenglingdu, Fu'an."

"Smack!" Duan Huai'an's thorny branch fell and hit the other person's back.

Lei Luo looked pained and said, "Of course, of course, Manager Duan, do you think this matter between the two families can just be left alone? How about Sihai compensates the deceased porter of Fu'an with a settlement fee?"

Duan Huai'an sat down, picked up his teacup, and said while drinking tea, "What about the matter of Sihai trying to win over the bodyguards of Fu'an Escort Agency, causing internal strife, and then taking advantage of the internal and external difficulties caused by the Yellow River Gang's robbery of goods, in order to deliberately annex Fu'an?"

Lei Luo's lips twitched, and he whispered to Duan Huai'an, "Manager Duan, you should be lenient when you can."

Duan Huai'an drank his tea in silence.

Lei Luo said, "Manager Duan, I understand. Rong Sihai, please make the preparations."

Duan Huai'an put down his teacup. "Take care, Manager Lei." "Thank you for the reminder, Manager Duan." Lei Luo turned and walked out of the council hall. As he passed through the corridor, a fierce expression appeared on his face.

……

As Lei Luo stepped out of Fu'an's gate, a blizzard swept in. The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) waiting outside hurried forward: "Master, how is it?"

He gave a cold, low laugh: "Just as I guessed. Luckily, I had a backup plan. Whether it's a python swallowing a snake or a sparrow turning the sky upside down, we'll see."

Lei Luo boarded the carriage, and the driver drove straight to Xiang Sihai Escort Agency. Not long after the carriage entered the agency, a bodyguard led two yellow horses out of the side gate. The bodyguard spurred the horses and disappeared into the snowstorm of Daxing Prefecture.

……

Daxing Prefecture is more than 700 li away from Datong Prefecture.

Escorts from all over the world took turns riding, and arrived in Datong Prefecture at dusk the next day.

Zhou Yan, having traveled through time, embarked on a mission to Datong Prefecture. He successfully returned to Zhongdu, where he and Huyan Lei were drinking at the "Songhelou" restaurant. Huyan Lei mentioned the world's best escort agencies, saying that the four major families were the leaders.

Changfeng Escort Agency of Datong Prefecture, Fu'an Escort Agency of Daxing Prefecture, Zhenwei Escort Agency of Kaifeng Prefecture, and Longmen Escort Agency of Lin'an Prefecture.

Changfeng Escort Agency was founded by the Helian family, whose ancestors were generals from the Western Xia Dynasty. It currently has two owners. The first owner is named Helian Zhantai, and the second owner was originally a Persian merchant who specialized in jewelry and sold jewelry in Bianliang, Chang'an, Taiyuan and other places. He adopted the Chinese surname "Yin".

Because of their frequent travels between the Western Regions, the Central Plains, and Jiangnan, the Yin family simply invested a huge sum of money to move into the Changfeng Escort Agency and become its second owner.

The镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) from the Sihai镖局 (Four Seas Escort Agency) were apprehended at the Changfeng镖局 (Changfeng Escort Agency). They presented their visiting cards, and after being reported by the镖师 (bodyguards/escorts), they were brought to the council hall.

The charcoal fire burned brightly, making the hall warm and cozy.

The bodyguard looked at Helian Zhantai, the owner of Changfeng Escort Agency, with his bright eyes, brows that were parted in the middle, and a body as white as silver, and knelt on one knee, presenting Lei Luo's handwritten letter with both hands.

Helian Zhantai opened and read the letter without changing his expression, then gave it to his second employer, who had wavy hair and a yellow beard.

The Hu man read the letter word by word and said to the镖师 (bodyguard/escort) from all over the world, "You should rest for now."

"Alright!" The bodyguard bowed and was led away by the porters outside the hall.

"What do you think of this?" Helian Zhantai asked.

The second landlord laughed: "When I arrived in Fenglingdu from Fu'an, I happened to stay at an inn."

"What a coincidence."

"Not only that, we also saw their fight with the Yellow River Gang. The bodyguards from Fu'an are exceptionally skilled in martial arts, and their escorts are well-trained and truly formidable. Especially the head bodyguard Zhang Wangyue and the young bodyguard named Zhou Yan."

Helian Zhantai laughed and said, "Compared to Changfeng now? The second boss not only brought capital to the escort agency, but also a lot of skilled people."

Hu Ren Er Dongjia said, "Even without me, Fu'an would not be as prosperous as Changfeng."

"Haha, you flatter me. Sihai Dongjia said he has offended Fu'an, and Duan Huai'an wants to kill him. Sihai is willing to join Changfeng and fly the Changfeng escort flag. What do you think we should do about this?"

The second landlord said, "Datong Prefecture can never compare to the prosperity of Zhongdu. We cannot miss this opportunity."

"I wonder how Sihai offended Fu'an?"

The second boss said, "The Sihai and Fu'an have been fighting for a long time. I think the Yellow River Gang's affairs are inseparable from the Sihai. Otherwise, Duan Huai'an would not have acted so ruthlessly."

“That makes sense. Changfeng Escort Agency can’t just rely on the trade routes in the Western Regions and within the Great Wall. If we want to do business across the Yellow River, Fu’an is a hurdle. Since this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, let’s cross the Yellow River.”

"The boss is very generous."

Who do you think would be suitable to send?

"Young Master and my son Yin Kexi."

"it is good!"

The two owners of Changfeng quickly finalized the matter. As dusk fell, dozens of riders from the escort agency, led by their young owner Helian Chuncheng, headed straight for Daxing Prefecture.

(End of this chapter)