The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 99 Technique Exchange, Crushing the Divine Claw

"call!"

Zhou Yan exhaled slightly and withdrew his right palm from the "Fengmen" acupoint on Huang Rong's spine.

"How is it, Chief Escort Zhou?" Mei Chaofeng asked hurriedly.

"Let me think about it." Zhou Yan jumped down from the carved carriage.

Mei Chaofeng took his pulse, and it was similar to the previous one, deep but strong, indicating that he had improved quite a bit.

She also dismounted from the carriage and leaned against the carriage to observe Zhou Yan's movements not far away.

After Huang Rong vomited blood and fell into a coma, Zhou Yan stopped the carriage and once again used the Quanzhen Sect's internal energy cultivation method to intercept the warm and pure energy emanating from the Jade Guanyin, storing it in her acupoints and then sending it into her body.

His senses are working now; the gentle energy is indeed nourishing his internal organs, relaxing his muscles and tendons, and removing internal ailments. What Huang Rong vomited just now was stagnant blood, but it's impossible for Huang Rong to fully recover.

Moreover, even if she were sent to Guiyun Manor, without the gentle warmth of the Jade Guanyin, Huang Rong's injuries would relapse.

He could now guess Mei Chaofeng's intentions: if she was also helpless, she would most likely try to take Lu Chengfeng to Peach Blossom Island.

The problem is that the Eastern Heretic is not on Peach Blossom Island, which could delay treatment and potentially lead to Huang Rong's untimely death.

Perhaps if Huang Rong practiced the Quanzhen internal martial arts, and then gave the Jade Guanyin to the other party, she could use her own cultivation method to extract the Qi and transform it into her own internal energy, then temper her muscles and bones, and nourish her internal organs. Over time, she would be able to recover.

But how could Huang Rong, in her current state, possibly cultivate the Quanzhen internal martial arts?

Zhou Yan racked his brains. The Southern Emperor must be able to save Huang Rong, but where was he? He only knew that he was in a general area around Iron Palm Peak. Searching blindly was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

The young apprentice in green was decocting medicine. Seeing that Huang Rong was showing signs of improvement, Mei Chaofeng was in a good mood and did not make things difficult for the apprentice. The apprentice also became more talkative.

Seeing Zhou Yan deep in thought, he blurted out, "It's a pity that Master's precious snake was stolen. Otherwise, if you had taken the snake's blood, you would have been cured."

The speaker has no intention, the listener has the heart.

Zhou Yan's thoughts returned, and he glanced back at the boy.

Bodhi snake.

Zhou Yan thought of snake gall.

Huang Rong's injuries were severe because her meridians were damaged, preventing the effective circulation of her internal energy. Snake gall, besides generating internal energy, also helps to clear the meridians. This effect was particularly noticeable in the world of *The Return of the Condor Heroes* when Yang Guo, injured and losing an arm, consumed snake gall.

Taking snake gallbladders on your own is less effective, perhaps because the snakes you ate were nearly twenty years younger. But Huang Rong can compensate for the lack of quality with quantity.

They can't cross the Yellow River right now, but if they head southwest to Fengqiu, Kaifeng Prefecture is on the south bank. They should be able to find a large ship to transport carriages and horses across the river. By the time they reach Xiangyang, spring will be in full bloom, making it easy to catch snakes. Huang Rong will eat the snake gall, and her injuries will stabilize. She can then heal herself using her internal energy. After that, they can hire a large ship to travel down the Yangtze River to Taihu Lake, going downstream. This will allow them to return in quite some time.

Zhou Yan felt at ease.

Mountain darkly, vista.

Zhou Yan turned and walked back, saying to Mei Chaofeng, "I have a way to heal people, but you must follow my instructions."

Mei Chaofeng would agree to any condition except for giving Zhou Yan the "Nine Yin Manual".

"it is good."

"Then so be it."

Zhou Yan was about to let the cart driver use his gloves when Mei Chaofeng suddenly asked, "What does 'gathering the five elements' mean?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan thought that if he went to Xiangyang, he might encounter his enemy Gongsun Zhi again. Perhaps he could explain this to Mei Chaofeng. In case they encountered a powerful enemy, she could be his helper.

Mei Chaofeng replied, "I won't take advantage of you. You explain these Taoist terms to me, and I'll give you a set of cultivation techniques. How about we exchange them?"

Before Zhou Yan could reply, Mei Chaofeng said, "However, this technique requires a skull to cultivate. In times of war and chaos, there are dead bones on the road, so finding one is not difficult." Zhou Yan inwardly scoffed, thinking, "You've gone astray. You haven't learned the Qi cultivation and internal energy training methods from the first half of the Nine Yin Manual. You're just guessing and speculating wildly, not knowing that 'destroying the enemy's head' means attacking the enemy's vitals. You think it means inserting your five fingers into the enemy's skull, and you've turned a superior martial art into a wicked one, turning it into the extremely vicious 'Nine Yin White Bone Claw.'"

"can."

"Alright, let me tell you the formula first."

"...With force exerted by the five fingers, nothing is insurmountable; it can destroy the enemy's head as easily as piercing rotten soil..."

"Gathering the five elements means the wood of the eastern soul, the metal of the western spirit, the fire of the southern god, the water of the northern essence, and the earth of the center..."

During the journey, Mei Chaofeng recited the incantation for her martial arts and the way to guide Qi, while Zhou Yan helped Mei Chaofeng resolve the doubts she had about the Daoist path.

He obtained the "Destroying Divine Claw" from the Nine Yin Manual.

The convoy set off again, heading southwest along the Yellow River, and the journey was uneventful.

During his daily rest periods, he would first use his internal energy to infuse Huang Rong with the gentle and pure energy of the Jade Guanyin. Afterward, he would find a slightly distant place to diligently practice the "Destroying Divine Claw." He was very dedicated to this skill and achieved great success in his practice. It could complement the "Freehand" technique in the "Yue Family Boxing Manual." The "Yue Family Freehand" technique is also known as Eagle Claw or Eagle Hand Fist. When used in battle, the two techniques complement each other perfectly. Even Mei Chaofeng and the Old Urchin would be greatly surprised.

……

The grass grows and the warbler flies in February, and the willows are drunk in the spring.

Spring mist floated on the surface of the Yellow River north of Kaifeng Prefecture, and the new buds of the weeping willows on the riverbank were like curtains. Zhou Yan and his party arrived at the Yellow River dock and hired a large boat to carry their carriages and horses across the river.

Kaifeng Prefecture has one of the four major escort agencies, Zhenwei Escort Agency. However, Zhou Yan did not enter the city, but took a detour, galloping straight towards Nanyang.

……

The rain intensified after nightfall, shrouding Nanyang in darkness.

The road was muddy and no longer suitable for travel.

Liang Xiaowu and the porters drove the carved cart to a grassy area near the mountains and forests.

Huang Rong is now awake for half the day but sleepy, and spends the other half sleeping. When Zhou Yan is healing, Mei Chaofeng is always by his side. She doesn't ask Zhou Yan how he learned the "Whirlwind Sweeping Leaf Kick". Perhaps the future is uncertain and life is like a flickering lamp, so it's better not to ask some questions.

The quirky and clever young girl from the Legend of the Condor Heroes is now rarely talkative. When she's lucid, she spends most of her time observing Zhou Yan. From the smallest details, she gets to know this bodyguard who lent her a horse and who needs to heal his injuries daily with his internal energy.

She noticed that the other party never stayed at inns or ate outside food along the way, protecting the shipment as if walking on thin ice.

Such a cautious and meticulous person should be taciturn, but the opposite is true. When he sits with the porters, he can often make several people laugh with just a few words.

He would also instruct the soldiers in martial arts and hunt to improve their meals, but the food he cooked was truly unspeakable.

Zhou Yan will spend the rest of his time cultivating.

Huang Rong was a little confused about why a镖头 (bodyguard/escort) would practice asceticism; after all, the镖局 (bodyguard/escort agency) wasn't owned by him.

Sometimes Huang Rong would observe Mei Chaofeng and felt that the other party's temper had improved a lot. She would often ask Zhou Yan about some things related to martial arts.

Huang Rong couldn't help but think to herself, "The disciples of Peach Blossom Island are actually seeking instruction from the bodyguards."

I wonder what Father will think when he sees this.

Zhou Yan continued to adhere to the principle of being a bodyguard, and apart from treating Huang Rong's injuries, he did not stay near the carriage when resting, but he did observe Huang Rong.

He was also confused. Logically speaking, "the world can be moved, but one's nature is hard to change." After Huang Rong regained her senses, she was still clever and mischievous. How did she suddenly become so stingy with words?

Is this still "Rong'er"?

With this question in mind, he plunged into the mountains to cultivate his skills. Through continuous and arduous practice, his "Crushing Divine Claws" technique reached a breakthrough point.

(End of this chapter)