The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 81 The Farmer and the Snake: A Kind Heart Cannot Command an Army

The clouds remained overcast, but the heavy snow that had fallen all night had stopped, and signs of clearing skies could be seen in the patches of iron-gray that had faded from the sky.

Zhongdu City is like a mat drawn in the snow, with streets and alleys tracing horizontal and vertical lines in the city.

Footprints were also intertwined in Zhou Yan's courtyard.

He got up early when it was just getting light, knowing that Ma Yu and Wang Chuyi were probably already awake and meditating, but he assumed they were still resting and didn't go to the east wing that had been prepared for the two of them to stay in to say good morning.

He didn't clear the snow in the courtyard or practice his kung fu. Instead, he drew water from the ancient well and cooked eight-treasure rice with rice, red dates, lotus seeds, longan, and other ingredients. Every now and then, he would recall the scenes from the previous night.

He wasn't reciting what happened at the Zhao Prince's Mansion, but rather the Daoist scriptures spoken by Ma Yu and Wang Chuyi.

The two were both learned and in high spirits, and they talked late into the night by candlelight.

The natural and non-action philosophy of Laozi's Five Thousand Character Classic; Zhuangzi's unique insights into "qi," "dao," and "de" in the Zhuangzi's Nanhua Zhengjing; the Yin-Yang and Five Elements theory contained in the Taiping Jing; and the cultivation and health preservation practices in the Yunji Qiqian. These many profound ideas were eloquently explained by Ma Yu and Wang Chuyi, from which Zhou Yan gained a great deal.

He always believed that once martial arts skills reached a certain level, a qualitative leap was needed to reach the pinnacle. This required a sublimation of one's worldview and philosophical system, and a profound understanding. Only then could one glimpse the perfect possibilities of a new world of martial arts in the smallest details. Huang Shang's compilation of Taoist classics and his self-taught mastery of the Nine Yin Manual may have originated from this.

Zhou Yan certainly didn't expect to have Huang Shang's talent, but the Taoist principles and doctrines that Ma Yu and Wang Chuyi spoke of had an obvious impact on his worldview, his sudden enlightenment and understanding of martial arts techniques.

As the saying goes, in an outdated way of thinking, any advanced teaching is nothing more than meaningless repetition. What makes Zhou Yan special is his ability to integrate the knowledge he has gained from his two lifetimes, generating new insights and concepts.

The comprehensive content of Kang Cangzi's treatise on "Dao," the "Dongling Zhenjing," as mentioned by Ma Yu, broadened Zhou Yan's horizons. In addition to the Dao of politics, the Dao of the ruler, the Dao of the minister, the Dao of the virtuous, and the Dao of following the natural order, it even included the Dao of military strategy. After being shocked, he recalled the history he had studied and finally felt relieved.

The sages who authored these monumental works had connections with emperors and social elites alike, and were all highly knowledgeable. Guiguzi, a member of the Daoist school, personally cultivated disciples such as Sun Bin, Pang Juan, Su Qin, and Zhang Yi, all of whom became influential figures.

Therefore, being in the world of Legend of the Condor Heroes and listening to Ma Yu and Wang Chuyi's words was no less significant for Zhou Yan's broadening of his horizons than breaking through the life barrier in martial arts and achieving the convergence of dragon and tiger.

While Zhou Yan was preparing breakfast, Ma Yu and Wang Chu, who were meditating, were deeply moved by Zhou Yan's sincere desire to learn and his ability to apply knowledge to new situations. He possessed exceptional comprehension, was unconventional, and was a rare talent in martial arts and Taoist cultivation, but unfortunately, he was not a disciple of the Quanzhen Sect.

Breakfast was eight-treasure rice, served with tofu, dried bamboo shoots and wood ear fungus, and stir-fried cabbage with vinegar.

After the meal, Zhou Yan went out to the escort agency, while Ma Yu and Wang Chuyi remained temporarily in the courtyard.

His figure passed through the alley and reached the main street. Inside the courtyard, Wang Chuyi entered the plum blossom stakes and began practicing the elbow strike method from the "Yue Family Boxing Manual" that he had obtained from Zhou Yan.

After watching for a while, Ma Yu said, "Junior brother, why don't we have a friendly spar?"

"Right on my mind!"

Under the gloomy sky, the two Taoist priests suddenly collided, their knees rising like spears and their elbows flashing like knives, clashing together with a series of loud thuds.

……

As the heavy snow subsided and pedestrians began to bustle about, Zhou Yan noticed a significant increase in the number of bodyguards entering and leaving the Fu'an Escort Agency when he arrived.

"Is the caravan that went to Sichuan back?" he muttered to himself, then strode towards the caravan agency. Reaching the gatehouse, he asked the porter, "Is Chief Escort Shi back?"

"Hmm, I've only been here a short while. Good morning, Escort Zhou."

"You're in great spirits," Zhou Yan said to the porter who was breathing out white puffs of air.

The escort chuckled and said, "All the bodyguards practice diligently, so how could we dare to slack off? We arrived at the escort agency early, lifted stone weights, practiced our swordsmanship, and warmed up our bodies before coming to stand guard."

"Okay, when you have free time, practice with me."

"Thank you very much, Escort Master Zhou." The porter was overjoyed.

Zhou Yan nodded with a smile and entered the porch. Tang Zishou pinched his thigh, wincing in pain, but he grinned. He had never offered any favors, nor had he ever invited Zhou the bodyguard to Songhelou for a meal. Such a tremendous opportunity had fallen into his lap.

When Zhou Yan arrived at the martial arts arena, he saw the head镖师 (bodyguard) Shi Xiangui and the镖师 (bodyguard) Cui Qingshan hurrying towards the council hall. He guessed that the boss and the head镖师 were dealing with Cui Changshun's matter.

His thoughts returned, and he looked towards the martial arts arena. Zhang Wangyue, Huyan Lei, Yang Tiexin, and Mu Nianci were all there.

……

After returning from Sichuan and joining the escort agency, Shi Xiangui and Cui Qingshan keenly sensed some changes.

In previous years, as New Year's Eve approached, on such a snowy day, the bodyguards and porters would lazily gather together, speculating about how much their year-end bonus would be, how they would spend the New Year, or sharing romantic tales they had heard from teahouses and brothels. But now, that atmosphere has vanished.

There were an unusually large number of bodyguards and escorts practicing their skills at the martial arts training ground. Even the escorts on duty were talking about martial arts techniques, and there were occasional reports of things like the Changfeng Escort Agency.

Wasn't Changfeng Escort Agency in Datong Prefecture? Who was personally teaching these镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) their martial arts techniques? Shi Xiangui and Cui Qingshan wondered.

Upon entering the council hall, Cui Qingshan first saw his nephew, Cui Changshun.

"What's that beast doing here? Did he get into trouble?" The bodyguard Cui Qingshan's heart skipped a beat.

……

"Brother Zhou, come and sit down."

Zhang Wangyue was explaining some key points of spear techniques to Yang Tiexin and Mu Nianci, while Huyan Lei, Wang Kui, and others listened in. When they saw Zhou Yan walking over, Huyan the镖师 (bodyguard) waved to him.

Mu Nianci hurriedly got up to find a stool. Zhou Yan had already taken a stone lock. She moved to the side and Zhou Yan sat down next to her.

In the biting wind, a girl in red stood upright with her waist as straight as a pine tree, her hands clasped on her knees.

"Are the two Taoist priests still here?"

"Hmm!" Zhou Yan replied, "I just saw Chief Escort Shi and Chief Escort Cui go to the council hall, probably for Cui Changshun's matter."

Cui Changshun remained imprisoned at the escort agency. Su and Lu, the escorts Zhou Yan had captured from all over the world, had already been dealt with by Huyan Lei and Wang Kui because Lei Luo had defected to Changfeng.

When asked this, Hu Yanlei replied, "We were just talking about this a while ago. The boss will definitely punish Cui Changshun severely. I wonder how Cui Qingshan will react."

Zhou Yan had been thinking about this issue for a long time and said directly, "The possibility of holding a grudge is high."

Zhang Wangyue and the others all looked at Zhou Yan, and Mu Nianci couldn't help but glance at him from the side.

"Mountains and rivers may move, but a person's nature is hard to change. Cui Changshun's mind has long been twisted. Reasoning with him and appealing to his emotions will not work. Cui Changshun may put on a show of weeping and repenting in front of his master, but he will definitely turn around and stir up trouble in front of Cui Qingshan."

Hu Yanlei said, "I agree with Brother Zhou's statement."

"What do you mean, Brother Zhou?"

"When a farmer sees a frozen snake, he knows the animal is harmful but cannot bear to do so. He tries to warm the snake with his own body but is harmed in return. Do not do what the farmer did with the snake."

“But Cui Qingshan is one of Chief Escort Shi’s men. What if the strict punishment caused him to become enemies with Chief Escort Shi?” Shi Baichuan asked.

“A merciful general cannot command an army.” Zhou Yan said firmly, “The future struggle between Fu’an and Changfeng will intensify. To quell external threats, we must first pacify internal ones. Rather than sowing hidden dangers, we should decisively cut off the threat when they first appear.”

(End of this chapter)