The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 7 Encountering Two Taoist Priests of Quanzhen at Songhe Tower
As dusk fell, it was the time for guests to arrive. Songhelou was not far from the two escort agencies, and there were also several martial arts schools in the area, so the area was a melting pot of all sorts of people.

Some would host a "Heroes' Feast," inviting heroes to dine in restaurants. During the feast, some would quarrel over a few words, turn on each other, and fight in the courtyard or on the street. These were all common occurrences.

People in the martial arts world love excitement. After the镖师 (bodyguards) from the Four Seas Escort Agency made some sarcastic remarks, the diners on the second floor all looked up.

Everyone knew that the two escort agencies had a conflict, and the young escort's words were like oil on a hot pan, bound to spark some controversy.

A young Taoist priest in the elegant seat by the north window was about to get up with his sword when his companion pulled him back and whispered, "Junior Brother Yin, it won't hurt to take a look."

"Senior Brother Zhao, Master said that when traveling the world, one should not cause trouble."

The older Taoist priest Zhao said, "It's just to watch the excitement. It doesn't violate the rules and teachings of our master. For us traveling the world, isn't this a good opportunity to broaden our horizons and gain knowledge?"

“What Senior Brother Zhao said makes sense.” Daoist Yin nodded and put down his long sword.

From their vantage point, they could clearly see the scene unfolding around Zhou Yan and Hu Yanlei. Senior Brother Zhao remarked, "That kid is much more handsome than Junior Brother Yin."

"Senior brother, please don't make fun of me." As the Taoist priest said this, he couldn't help but glance at Zhou Yan a few more times, thinking to himself that he was quite handsome.

The Taoist priest, Yin, meant no harm, but being stared at was unsettling. Zhou Yan, with his keen senses, glanced back, and Yin quickly looked away. Zhou Yan wondered, "Why is this Taoist looking at me? I wonder if he's from the Quanzhen Sect?"

Hu Yanlei laughed and said, "It's rare that镖师 Lu, 镖师 Su, and 镖师 Lu can understand my crude words. They are truly kindred spirits."

Lu the镖师 refers to Hu Yanlei as a talented young镖师. He was inwardly annoyed, thinking to himself that Hu Yanlei was subtly insulting him as a brute. So he asked Hu Yanlei with a forced smile, "This brother looks unfamiliar."

"The newly promoted bodyguard Zhou."

"I see." Escort Lu stepped forward and extended his right hand: "Heroes have always emerged from among the young. My apologies for my overconfidence."

Zhou Yan had absorbed all of the original owner's memories, and he recognized the three bodyguards from the Four Seas Escort Agency. Moreover, he deeply hated the Four Seas Escort Agency.

Merchants choose escort agencies based on their strength and solid reputation.

Sihai, on the other hand, tried every means to slander and defame Fu'an Escort Agency.

They recounted when the escort mission took place, what went wrong, and how much silver was lost.

A bodyguard from Fu'an seduced a young lady while carrying out a personal escort mission, and got her pregnant.

Sneaking a peek at the mail while it's being delivered by courier exposes one's privacy.

They embellished the story with all sorts of fabricated and unfounded tales.

However, some people believe such nonsense, which is why Fu'an Escort Agency has a series of incidents where goods that were originally sure of success are stolen by the other party every now and then.

However, this situation was only discovered later, and without concrete evidence, there was nothing that could be done about the other party.

However, the two escort agencies were secretly at odds, and not only the escorts, but also the servants and grooms knew this perfectly well.

When Lu the镖师 reached out to Zhou Yan, Hu Yanlei sneered inwardly. When martial arts figures meet for the first time, they are often unwilling to admit defeat to each other, but they are reluctant to fight openly for the sake of face. So they reach out to each other, seemingly to get closer, but in reality, they are fighting. It is common for those with weaker martial arts skills to have their hand bones broken and their palms swollen, or to beg for mercy in unbearable pain.

Although the other party was much older than Brother Yan, if they were to compete in strength, he would be asking for trouble, as Zhou Yan's hands could pull a strong bow weighing a hundred pounds.

Lu the镖师 extended his hand, and Zhou Yan smiled and said, "You're too kind!"

The young bodyguard from Sihai Escort Agency immediately darkened his face. He said to himself, "Heroes have always emerged from among the young. My apologies." You shouldn't have said "Please give me your guidance." Why should you say "You're too kind"?

Who gave you the courage?

"Kid, you deserve to embarrass yourself."

With their hands clasped together, Lu the镖师 suddenly exerted force, trying to squeeze Zhou Yan's palm until it swelled up.

In an instant, his expression changed drastically, but he felt that the force of the other party was as solid as a mud ox or the sea, and the other party remained unmoved.

Suddenly, Lu felt as if a tremendous force was pressing down on his muscles and bones from Zhou Yan's palms and fingers. He felt every meridian in his body convulsing with pain spreading from his palms and fingers. Lu struggled to break free, but Zhou Yan's fingers were like iron clamps.

"I've long admired your name," Zhou Yan said with a smile, looking at the other person's face, which had turned a deep purple.

These words were even more cutting to Lu the镖师 than when he had previously praised Hu Yanlei for his many talents.

I knew that if things continued like this, I would be embarrassed on the spot.

He let out a loud shout and punched forward and upward from under his armpit, with the back of his fist facing outward, aiming at Zhou Yan's face.

This "reverse chop" is fast and swift, showing considerable skill.

Zhou Yan then released his grip, raised his right elbow to sweep away the fist's momentum, and delivered an extremely concealed, knee-high rubbing kick to Lu Biaoshi's leg.

The young bodyguard suddenly lunged forward and was suspended in mid-air.

Lu the bodyguard and Su the bodyguard shouted, "Stop being so insolent!"

The two attacked Zhou Yan. Hu Yanlei took a step to the side and delivered a powerful "Iron Mountain Lean" that firmly struck Lu the镖师 (bodyguard/escort). With a "thud," Lu the镖师 retreated continuously until he reached the elegant seat in front of Yin the Taoist and Zhao the Taoist.

Seeing that the other person was about to lean against the table, the Taoist priest Yin slapped the other person's lower back to help him steady himself.

Unexpectedly, Hu Yanlei's "Iron Mountain Lean" was powerful and fierce. The force of the impact pushed the Taoist priest's chair toward the window amidst the creaking noise, but Lu the镖师 managed to regain his balance.

The Taoist priest Yin reacted quickly, holding his sword in his left hand and lightly tapping the wall with the scabbard to steady the chair.

He thought to himself that Huyan Lei was quite strong, and looked toward the elegant seat by the south window.

Zhou Yan and Su Biaoshi had already clashed, both launching fierce attacks on each other immediately. In the twilight, they moved in and out of a small area, their fighting confined to a ten-foot-wide zone, without spreading outwards. It didn't seem very intense, but the "bang bang bang" of fists hitting flesh, the dust billowing and the sound like drumming, made it clear that the two were fighting to the death.

Suddenly, Zhou Yan took a step forward and leaped into the air, his right fist flying up.

With a "thud," a move from the "Yanqing Fist" – "Flying Swallow Pecking Mud" – landed on Su the bodyguard's face. The opponent ducked and delivered a high kick that struck Zhou Yan in the chest.

Su, the bodyguard, chuckled softly and lunged at Zhou Yan, ready to kill him.

Hu Yanlei was shocked and tried to rush to help, but was stopped by Lu the镖师 (bodyguard/escort) again.

Lu, the bodyguard who had suffered a loss in their previous exchange, said sinisterly:

"Master Huyan, are you going to help the fist?"

As Hu Yanlei braced himself, he saw Zhou Yan's body stretch out the instant his back touched the ground.

The next moment, he sprang up like a carp, and using the momentum of the forward flip, he was in the air, parallel to the ground, and threw out two straight punches.

This was originally the "Advancing Strike" from the "Taizu Long Fist," but Zhou Yan executed it in such an unbelievable way. Before Su, the bodyguard, could even get into a fighting stance, he was struck in the chest by both fists, staggered back a few steps, lost his footing, and tumbled down the stairs.

Hu Yanlei was overjoyed and laughed heartily, then said to Escort Lu, "No, let's go see Escort Su."

Zhou Yan flicked the dust off his chest with his right hand and walked to the stairwell. Su, the bodyguard who had rolled down to the first floor, stood up, his face contorted with rage and his expression fierce.

"Kid, let's have a weapons contest if you dare."

"You choose the location, you set the time, and I will definitely keep my appointment."

"We'll see!"

Given the circumstances, how could Master Su still have the face to stay at "Songhelou"? He threw down a harsh remark and left quickly.

The disgraced镖师 Lu didn't say much, glared at Zhou Yan, and hurriedly left with his镖师 Lu.

(End of this chapter)