The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 96 Mei Chaofeng, possessed by demons, angrily curses the heavens for their mistakes.

The clouds in the sky are like white robes, changing in an instant like greyhounds.

Mei Chaofeng hiring bodyguards was beyond Zhou Yan's expectations. Ouyang Feng's appearance in Zhongdu was also unexpected. However, Hong Qigong was in Daxing Prefecture, where he could likely keep Ouyang Feng in check.

The battle on the long street during the Lantern Festival resulted in the deaths of many镖局 (bodyguard agencies) members, including Shi Xiangui, serving as a wake-up call. Their actions in Zhongdu after the spring festival will be less aggressive. Therefore, overall, the situation in Fu'an can be considered a glimmer of hope. Zhou Yan had originally planned to simply keep an eye on the movements at the "Yuelai Inn," observing the subsequent actions of the Six Heroes of Jiangnan and the Golden Knife Prince Consort before assessing the situation. However, Mei Chaofeng's sudden appearance somewhat disrupted these plans.

Fortunately, the mission to escort goods to Taihu Lake lasted for more than twenty days, and the return trip was swift and did not take too much time.

With Zhang Wangyue in charge on the escort agency's side, they were able to keep Helian Chuncheng under control.

Zhang Wangyue has never truly revealed his strength in public. His stunning performance against the young镖师 (bodyguards) of Longmen镖局 (escort agency) in Xiangyang and his encounter with bandits in Jingzhou were admirable, but they did not demonstrate the true ability of Zhang Xian's descendant. When he encountered Ouyang Feng, he withstood three moves, which showed his true strength. Although he was injured, he was able to stabilize his injuries and appear at the镖局 (escort agency) the next day. This level of strength may even be above that of Sha Tongtian.

When Ke Zhen'e, Guo Jing and others assassinated Wanyan Honglie, Zhou Yan did not see Longmen Ghost King and Thousand-Handed Butcher. The two should have already left Zhao Wang Mansion. Based on this, it can be inferred that Ouyang Ke, Wanyan Kang and others will soon head south to Lin'an Prefecture.

Therefore, there were no unpredictable events in Zhongdu, and the escort agency under Zhang Wangyue's command was worry-free.

Time passed as the sun began to set amidst Zhou Yan's arrangements and plans.

We'll leave the matter of Huang Rong returning the horse aside for now.

He hired two large trucks from the car dealership.

"The road is filled with the fragrance of fine carriages. The sound of phoenix flutes moves, the jade pot shines, and fish and dragons dance all night."

The carved carriage mentioned in the poem is the kind that Zhou Yan prepared for Mei Chaofeng.

The carriage is over seven feet long and five feet wide, with colorful mats and soft couches inside. Sitting in this kind of carriage, the ride is very smooth, and you can even sleep and rest if you get tired.

One carriage drawn by two horses.

Mei Chaofeng only requested two large carriages, with the other one presumably for her entourage or to carry goods. She opted for a镖局 (bodyguard agency) carriage.

Just in case, Zhou Yan selected four martial arts practitioners, including a young man named Liang Xiaowu who had been stripped of his banner in Xiangyang and had been given a thorough dressing-down by Zhou Yan. After returning, he practiced martial arts late into the night and until dawn.

Liang Xiaowu was overjoyed. He wiped the carved cart clean again and again, led the horse to harness it, and prepared to carry his equipment, which of course included lime.

During his stay, Zhou Yan returned to his own courtyard, closed the doors and windows, and took with him dozens of taels of silver, his personal clothes, lime, an iron bow, a steel sword, and a heavy iron spear to the escort agency.

During that escort mission to Jingzhou, his weapon was a straight sword; now, he prefers a gun and a sword.

If the "Jade Lion Under the Night" were also there, it would be "A white horse with an iron spear and a long sword on its back, swift as a shooting star."

Knowing that Mei Chaofeng was unpredictable and that the Nine Yin White Bone Claw was powerful, Zhou Yan thought of going to the escort agency and borrowing a pair of iron wrist guards from a master of palm and finger techniques to carry with him.

As the sun sets, the air is filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees, and several plum blossoms in the courtyard of the security escort agency are in full bloom.

When Zhou Yan arrived at the gate tower, he saw the horse-drawn carriage that had been prepared.

"Head镖师, everything is ready," Liang Xiaowu said, stepping forward with a green horse in his hand.

"What about you?"

The boy patted the straight sword slung across his body. "Everything's ready. I even brought some lime."

"anything else?"

"Three days' worth of emergency supplies: rations for men and horses, wound medicine, signal flames, barbed wire, fishing nets, reeds, and rice dumpling wrappers..."

The boy mentioned more than ten different things, and Zhou Yan replied with an appreciative look, "Not bad. He even thought of the rainy and foggy weather in the south and prepared rice dumpling wrappers. He's really thoughtful."

He handed the iron spear to Liang Xiaowu, who took the spear and ran over to place it temporarily on the carriage.

Zhou Yan passed through the gatehouse and arrived at the escort agency, where he gave Hu Yanlei some instructions.

"The man who appeared on the long street during the Lantern Festival and fought alongside me, wearing the mask of the Earth God, is the young master who borrowed the 'Night-Shining Jade Lion.' If he returns the horse, please accept it on his behalf."

"Return the horse? Tsk tsk, that young master is a man of his word."

"It's not just about returning the horse; it's also about repaying the favor by helping me deal with the people from the Changfeng Escort Agency."

"Yes, I saw it too. His agility was truly impressive."

"really."

As dusk fell, Yang Tiexin and Mu Nianci approached.

Yang Tiexin said, "The shortest route to Taihu Lake is south through Jinan Prefecture, but that route is fraught with danger, frequent with war and banditry. If the镖头 (bodyguard/escort) takes that route, be extra careful, especially with this embroidered carriage. It attracts attention, and bandits will likely mistake it for a wealthy family and target it. With the镖头's martial arts skills, dealing with it is no problem, but the real danger is that they might use underhanded tactics, colluding with restaurants and inns to drug the food. It's impossible to guard against them all."

Zhou Yan knew all this, but he was deeply grateful for Yang Tiexin's sincere kindness.

"Don't worry, Senior Yang. We won't enter deserted villages or stay in roadside inns."

"Okay, be careful." Yang Tiexin nodded.

Mu Nianci said, "Take care on your journey, Chief Escort."

"Thank you, Miss Mu."

The twilight is closing, and the lanterns are starting to turn on.

An unusual atmosphere enveloped the escort agency. Logically, the profit from this escort should be greater than that from the Jingzhou escort, and the expenses along the way should be much less. According to the usual practice for escorting goods, they should also light pine resin and set off firecrackers. However, the merchants instructed them not to make any noise and to leave the city at night. Hu Yanlei, Wang Kui and others were all a little uneasy.

If nothing is wrong, then it's Zhou Yan.

Before the moon had climbed into the deep blue night sky, a boy in green arrived at the gate of the security escort agency.

"Are you all ready?"

Liang Xiaowu asked, "Who are you?"

"My master said we're going on a delivery mission tonight."

"Hold on."

Liang Xiaowu arrived at the escort agency with lightning speed.

……

"The boy in blue?"

Upon hearing the messenger's report, Zhou Yan was taken aback, wondering if it was a disciple accepted by Mei Chaofeng.

Zhang Wangyue, Huyan Lei, Yang Tiexin, and others saw Zhou Yan off. As Zhou Yan left the escort agency, the lamplight from under the eaves illuminated the face of a handsome, clever-looking boy of about thirteen or fourteen. "Are you all ready?"

"Okay." Zhou Yan said.

"Let's go."

When Huyan Lei saw that the carriage was going to the mansion to pick someone up, he said, "Have a safe journey."

"it is good!"

Zhou Yan bowed and mounted the yellow horse. Three attendants drove the carriage, while Liang Xiaowu rode a green horse. Following the boy's instructions, the convoy turned around and headed towards the Zhao Prince's Mansion.

The carriages rumbled and the horses neighed. When the procession was still several streets away from the Prince Zhao's residence, the boy called for a halt.

He jumped down from the carriage and said, "Just wait here. The rest of the men are coming down."

The boy was fierce. The escort glanced at Zhou Yan, and seeing his head镖师 nod, one of the escorts who was driving the chariot jumped down from the carriage. The boy drove forward and then turned into the alley.

Is this to escort Mei Chaofeng to the backyard of Prince Zhao's mansion? Zhou Yan pondered.

However, within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the carriage returned.

The boy got out of the carriage, lifted the curtain, and said to the carriage with a look of fear on his face, "Master, we have arrived."

Mei Chaofeng did not get out of the carriage, but handed out several large bundles. The boy took the bundles and put them into the escort agency's carriage one by one. The night wind swept through the long street, and the smell of medicinal herbs entered Zhou Yan's nose.

His pupils narrowed slightly as he looked at the boy in blue's terrified expression and guessed what was going on.

The boy in green was, unsurprisingly, Liang Ziweng's medicine boy. He had been kidnapped by Mei Chaofeng and controlled by some unknown means, making him obedient to her every word. The bundle contained medicinal herbs collected by the Ginseng Immortal Old Monster, and the boy accompanied him, naturally picking out and brewing the herbs.

The person who accompanied Mei Chaofeng to Guiyun Manor was unwell.

As he was thinking this, Mei Chaofeng's voice came from the carriage: "Which one of you is in charge?"

"Zhou Yan, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) of Fu'an".

"Chief镖周, can we go now?"

"How should we address the merchant? According to the escort agency's regulations, the merchant must sign a escort contract."

"Mei, the Mei of plum blossom."

"Okay, hold on tight."

The boy climbed onto the carriage loaded with medicinal herbs, Zhou Yan followed behind, and Liang Xiaowu led the way. The three carriages sped along the street out of Zhongdu City, heading straight for Cangzhou at night.

……

They didn't enter deserted villages or stay in roadside inns; the seasons changed, and they traveled day and night.

At the end of the first month, the convoy passed through Shanghe County, and the Yellow River came into view. After crossing the river, it would be Jinan Prefecture.

Along the way, they encountered several groups of bandits who coveted the carved carriage, but Zhou Yan and Liang Xiaowu easily dealt with them all. Mei Chaofeng never made a move. When the caravan rested, the medicine boy would brew medicine, and at this time Zhou Yan would lead his men away to a safe distance.

The escort team was to carry personal protective equipment and was not allowed to come into contact with female relatives; this was the rule.

Furthermore, Zhou Yan also needed to leave some space for the other party to handle some personal matters.

Overall, the journey was peaceful, but as time went on, the boy's expression became increasingly fearful and uneasy.

Zhou Yan guessed that the other party must have been scolded by Mei Chaofeng, which also meant that the person in the carriage was getting weaker and weaker.

……

The clouds suddenly changed color, and the wind and snow swept across the land.

Snowflakes drifted down from the sky.

At midnight, the carriage stopped.

The porters lit a campfire a little distance away from the carved cart.

Liang Xiaowu set up a small iron pot to boil water.

Zhou Yan said, "I'll go hunt a wild animal."

"okay!"

The four men were busy with their own tasks. When Zhou Yan took his bow and walked out, he glanced back and saw that the medicine boy had also lit a bonfire and started decocting medicine.

He looked away and walked into the woods.

"Damn you, God, you can't stand to see me doing well, can you?"

A sharp sound suddenly rang out in the night. Zhou Yan was startled and turned around. In the light of the campfire, he saw the boy scrambling away, his thick black hair billowing in the wind like ink. The boy's expression was ferocious. *Whoosh!* A whip fell to the ground in the night, lashing out and sending dirt and gravel flying everywhere.

“You scoundrel, don’t you also hate to see me doing well? Back then I advised you to apologize to your master, but you refused. Now I have the chance, but my body is about to have problems. Why won’t you protect me?”

The sky was overcast, and snowflakes swirled in the air.

Mei Chaofeng, dressed in black, resembled a fierce ghost. She brandished her whip, causing sand and stones to fly all around.

"Head镖师 Zhou, Merchant Mei has gone mad," said Liang Xiaowu, a porter, as he approached Zhou Yan, his face ashen.

At that moment, Zhou Yan saw Mei Chaofeng put away her whip, turn around, and face him. In an instant, the woman's body darted towards him like a ghost.

"You all can't stand to see me doing well, can you?"

The whip came like lightning, striking a porter near the campfire.

She was about to enter the fiery demon's embrace. In a flash, Zhou Yan drew his arrow and released his bow.

A "bang" sound.

The whip moved like lightning.

The arrow flew like a shooting star.

Murderous intent surged in the darkness of night.

(End of this chapter)