The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 82 First Encounter with the Golden Knife Prince Consort
Hu Yanlei was a descendant of the Hu family generals.

Yang Tiexin's ancestor was Yang Zaixing.

Although bodyguards Wang Kui and Shi Baichuan were both upright and honest, their personalities differed slightly; the former was forthright and generous, while the latter was meticulous. Both were men with whom one could be completely loyal and trustworthy.

Therefore, Zhou Yan spoke without restraint.

The wind whipped up the fine snowflakes, and his calm, deep voice echoed through the snow, reaching everyone's ears: "The head镖师 (镖师 is a person who specializes in escorting goods) asked, and I will speak from the heart, without reservation. The future of Fu'an and Changfeng in Zhongdu will be a fierce battle, so the镖局 (镖局 is a type of security escort agency) needs to unite as one. And one more thing..."

Zhou Yan's voice lowered: "We may have another hidden adversary, the Imperial City Guard."

Zhang Wangyue understood and nodded slightly: "Brother Zhou is right."

……

The snow stopped and the wind picked up, howling under the eaves. Duan Huai'an, the owner of Fu'an, succinctly recounted the affair between Cui Changshun and Su and Lu, the former镖师 (bodyguards) of the Sihai Escort Agency. Cui Qingshan's breathing quickened and his body trembled.

It's true that he dislikes Zhou Yan, and he even told the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) about Zhang Wangyue's various shortcomings in giving Zhou Yan special treatment during the escort mission in Sichuan. But he never thought of betraying the镖局 (bodyguard/escort agency).

Is this beast blinded by lard?

I originally intended to come back and smooth things over, hoping the other bodyguards would go easy on him during the exam and allow this beast to be promoted to bodyguard smoothly. It's one thing for you to be a womanizer, but how could you be so reckless?

Upon realizing this, Cui Qingshan was filled with rage.

"You beast."

"Uncle, I..."

After Cui Qingshan slapped his hand twice, red marks immediately appeared on Cui Changshun's face.

"Master, let me teach this beast a lesson."

Duan Huai'an said in a deep voice: "To betray one's own people is an unforgivable crime."

Cui Qingshan's expression froze, and he looked at his own bodyguard.

The burly head镖师 Shi Xiangui said, "The master is right."

“I understand.” Cui Qingshan’s heart sank, and he turned to Duan Huai’an and said, “Master, I’ll go teach that beast a lesson.”

Duan Huai'an nodded.

Cui Changshun wept bitterly and said, "Master, I know I was wrong and I will change my ways."

"Shut up!" Cui Qingshan grabbed Cui Changshun and turned to leave the council hall.

Duan Huai'an turned his gaze away from the bodyguard and asked Shi Xiangui, "What do you think of this?"

Shi Xiangui said, "Changshun harbors ill intentions and should be expelled from the escort agency."

"Yes, keep an eye on Chief Escort Cui. After all, they have a close relationship as uncle and nephew. Public matters should be kept separate from private matters, and they should not be confused."

"Don't worry, boss. Cui Qingshan is an experienced bodyguard and knows what's important."

"Now that you say so, I feel at ease. There's also the matter of the Four Seas Escort Agency."

Duan Huai'an kept the conversation brief, mentioning the Sihai Escort Agency hiring a hitman, Lei Luo's defection to the Changfeng Escort Agency, and Zhang Wangyue's impending appointment as the chief escort.

……

The hay shed next to the stables of the security escort agency.

With a "thud," Cui Changshun was thrown to the ground by Cui Qingshan.

"uncle."

"Stop talking, the employer can no longer keep you in Fu'an."

Cui Qingshan got up and said, "Zhang Wangyue, Zhou Yan, Hu Yanlei and others are becoming more and more powerful in the escort agency. I have long wanted to leave here. While I was imprisoned, I overheard the escorts talking and they said that Sihai is now a branch of Changfeng. Fu'an has even had a conflict with Changfeng. Uncle, you and I will not have a better life in Changfeng than in Fu'an."

"You've lost your mind."

“I’m perfectly sober, Uncle. I know you care about me and want to repay you. Back then, Master Su said he could give you the position of head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), and the reason I agreed was because I was considering our future. Now that things have come to this, don’t you think about how the people in the镖局 (escort agency) will view you in the future?”

"Shut up. It's all your fault."

“Uncle, if we can’t keep you here, we can find somewhere else to do so. We can also use Changfeng Escort Agency to deal with Zhou Yan. I’ve ended up in this situation because of him.”

"Stay put and behave yourself." Cui Qingshan walked out of the hay shed with a gloomy face.

Cui Changshun's face turned fierce. "Zhou Yan, if you can't kill me, I will find a way to kill you."

……

“Miss Mu, do you have some free time? Come with me and Brother Zhou to the horse stable in the suburbs to return the mules and horses.”

After a brief meeting by the martial arts arena, Zhou Yan and Hu Yanlei got busy. Back when the caravan traveled through Sichuan, it was the two of them who hired mules and horses from horse trading companies. Zhou Yan even received the "Night-Shining Jade Lion," and now the two of them, along with their handlers, were returning it.

Hu Yanlei wanted Mu Nianci to familiarize herself with the affairs of the escort agency, so he asked this question.

"I'm free," Mu Nianci replied, then said to Yang Tiexin, "Father, I'm going to get busy."

"Go!"

Mu Nianci placed the iron spear in her hand on the weapon rack and followed Zhou Yan and Huyan Lei to the stable.

"How is Miss Mu's riding skill?" Zhou Yan asked.

"It can only be ridden; it's not suitable for galloping at full speed."

"The exam should be held in the next couple of days. Once you become a bodyguard, you should choose a horse and practice more. I don't know how many merchants have been delayed by this heavy snow. Once the snow stops and the weather clears up, the escort agency will be busy again. You can't go on a mission without excellent horsemanship."

"Understood, I will practice diligently. Thank you, Master Zhou."

Hu Yanlei led the black horse, but Mu Nianci had no taste in horses. While she was hesitating, Zhou Yan went to the green horse that she used to ride. "This horse is the one I used to ride. It has a gentle temperament and good endurance. You can use it for now."

"Ok!"

The green horse recognized Zhou Yan, nuzzling his clothes with its head. Zhou Yan untied the reins and handed them to Mu Nianci.

"Why can't I see that magnificent 'Jade Lion Under the Night' that I saw at Fenglingdu?" Mu Nianci asked casually.

“Brother Zhou lent it to someone. He took this yellow horse from bandits outside Jingzhou.”

"Is that so?" Mu Nianci was a little curious about who Zhou Yan had borrowed the money from, since she thought Zhou Yan had no friends in Jingzhou, but she was too embarrassed to ask, so she stopped the topic.

The three men left the stable and summoned a porter to drive the mules and horses to the horse ranch on the outskirts of the city.

As Zhou Yan walked along the street, a small red horse suddenly came into his view. When he looked over, the little red horse was standing outside a pharmacy called "Zhi'an Hall," with a green horse beside it.

When Zhou Yan helped the two heroes of Jiangnan escape the night before, he saw bloodstains in the snow and guessed that someone must be seriously injured. Guo Jing went to the pharmacy to get medicine to recuperate.

Huyan Lei also saw the little red horse. He was a connoisseur of horses and praised it, saying, "This is a Ferghana horse, no less than your 'Night-Shining Jade Lion', Brother Zhou."

“Indeed!” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.

Mu Nianci liked red clothes, and by extension, she also liked the little red horse, and couldn't help but take a few more glances at it.

At that moment, the young man in the fur coat and the scholar in white robes came out of the pharmacy and went to the little red horse.

Mu Nianci quickly looked away.

Zhou Yan couldn't help but take a few more glances.

I met the shrewd scholar the night before. The young man had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and a kind and honest face. Who else could it be but Guo Jing?

As the mule caravan passed the pharmacy, Zhu Cong frowned as he watched Zhou Yan's retreating figure.

"Second Master, what's wrong?" Guo Jing asked.

Zhu Cong was known as the "Master Scholar" because he had the amazing skill of stealing by feeling bones and was good at recognizing people.

He said, "That young bodyguard seems to be the one who acted righteously the night before."

Guo Jing was taken aback, but quickly said, "Second Master, let's go up and thank them."

Zhu Cong shook his head: "I didn't know your identity the night before, and I was thinking of finding someone to thank you. But you are disguised as a bodyguard. We are going to assassinate Wanyan Honglie. Whether we succeed or not, we will go south to Jiaxing. The Prince Zhao's mansion can't do anything about it. You and your party are at the escort agency. It's best not to attract trouble."

"Second Master is right."

Guo Jing watched Zhou Yan walk away, his eyes filled with gratitude.

(End of this chapter)