The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 3 Hong Qigong, the Nine-Fingered Beggar

The campfire glowed with smoke and dust, and the burning bamboo strips crackled and popped.

Zhou Yan replied, "The world is dangerous. If you were taken down the mountain by your master to travel, that would be fine. But you have no experience in the world and you are a woman. Even flowers and leaves may hide thorns, and people's hearts may harbor poison."

Li Mochou burst out laughing, "Why do you speak so old-fashionedly? What's wrong with women? Are they inferior to men?"

"It's true that women are just as capable as men. But I'm a镖师 (bodyguard/escort), and when I was a镖师, I would shout to clear the way and call out the goods. I've been all over the country, from the south to the north, and I know the dangers of the martial world and the evil of people's hearts, which is why I say this."

"A bodyguard? I never would have guessed."

"Therefore, being careless can easily lead to disaster. Just like the man wielding a short axe in the restaurant, if he hadn't underestimated me, he wouldn't have been killed by me in one move."

"Why don't you share your experience in the martial arts world?"

"There are many more. For example, the three most difficult people to deal with in the martial arts world are beggars, monks, and Taoist nuns. If you want to live a peaceful life, it's best not to provoke them, whether you want to fight or drink. There are also some pieces of advice: don't trust seemingly honest men. If women or children come to your door, it's definitely not a good thing..."

Zhou Yan was naturally talkative, and having traveled through time, he was not bound by the laws and regulations of this era. He spoke eloquently about the dangers of the martial arts world, using slang and secret codes. Li Mochou listened intently, yet also got goosebumps.

After he finished speaking, the temple fell silent.

Li Mochou was unable to recover for a long time.

The rain patters slowly on the autumn leaves, and the mournful wind brings a heavy chill.

Li Mochou snapped out of her daze and crossed her arms: "Is it really that dangerous?"

"nature!"

"But I know martial arts, and I'm quite good at it."

"Even a hero can't fight four hands. It's easy to dodge a spear in the open but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. What's more, there are also those treacherous people on the roof who use bewitching incense. Don't you have any fellow disciples? It would be better to travel with someone than alone."

"My junior sister is only five years old."

Zhou Yan smiled slightly. Li Mochou, with her limited experience in the martial arts world, easily extracted the information from her with just a few words.

Little Dragon Girl is indeed a "young dragon".

Li Mochou suddenly smiled and said, "How about I follow you and broaden my horizons?"

Zhou Yan said, "According to the rules of the escort profession, one must not come into contact with women during an escort mission."

"You've already made contact with me."

"So I broke the rules."

"Then let's break it a few more times."

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "I'm traveling as a messenger, all alone. If it were a silver courier, there would be a rumbling carriage and neighing horses, with the escorts each carrying bows and arrows, making it impossible for anyone to get close. There's a thousand miles between Zhongnan Mountain and Datong Prefecture, and you've already traveled quite a distance, broadening your horizons. We've killed the Four Demons of the Yellow River, and their sects will naturally search for revenge. In my opinion, it would be better for you to return to Zhongnan Mountain to diligently cultivate your martial arts. Once you've mastered your skills and refined your character, it won't be too late to descend the mountain."

Why should one cultivate self-discipline and character when learning martial arts?

"Avoid arrogance and impetuosity, and be cautious in your words and actions."

"If you put it that way, I feel like you're completely useless."

"That's not true. Your swordsmanship and lightness skills are far superior to mine."

Zhou Yan was telling the truth. His martial arts skills were primarily external, and although his footwork was swift, he lacked the ability to perform light-body techniques. His knife and sword skills were mediocre.

Li Mochou immediately perked up, "I'll teach you!"

"How can that be? But I am young and ambitious, and I will eventually surpass you."

Li Mochou proudly raised her head.

Zhou Yan smiled.

"why are you laughing?"

"nothing."

Li Mochou's bright eyes sparkled. "I know what you're laughing at. How about we make a bet?"

How do we gamble?

"A three-year agreement—no, a one-year agreement—is here for you and me to determine who can defeat me."

"Can!"

"It's a word."

"Never break a promise."

"What if I beat you?"

"Not necessarily." "We'll see!" Li Mochou was unconvinced and said no more, her gaze sweeping around.

Zhou Yan got up and went out of the temple. He took a long knife, cut some dry grass, dried it over the fire, and made it into a straw mat.

"for you."

"Thank you," Li Mochou replied, thinking to herself how thoughtful he was.

"Don't be shy, just make do for the night."

"Ok!"

Li Mochou sat cross-legged, circulating her internal energy and regulating her breathing. Under the faint light, mist gradually rose from the top of her head.

Zhou Yan was quite envious.

His boxing skills were superb, but his internal strength was ordinary. The original owner of this body had never cultivated a profound internal strength with the "Taizu Changquan" style, so this widely circulated boxing style must have been abridged, focusing only on external strength.

His thoughts returned, and he sat cross-legged, closing his eyes to rest. The jade Guanyin pendant hanging around his neck continued to radiate a pure and warm heat, cleansing his limbs and body again and again, relaxing his muscles and tendons.

A breeze blew in from the woods outside, gently stirring the flames. After about an hour, Zhou Yan was completely refreshed and full of energy.

The heat emanating from the jade Guanyin statue weakened but was still perceptible. Zhou Yan was delighted; wasn't this even more wondrous than the cold jade bed in the ancient tomb?

At the end of Hai hour (9-11 PM), the autumn rain stopped.

The forest was quiet at night, with the distant sound of birdsong and the rustling of unidentified animals moving across the grass.

In the quiet of the night, voices could be heard.

"This place is so vast, how can we possibly find that couple? Let's find a place to rest. We can search at dawn. Perhaps Old Peng and his men have already intercepted them in Datong Prefecture."

A voice, filled with gritted teeth, then rang out.

"How can I let the hatred of killing my disciple linger overnight before seeking revenge?"

Zhou Yan was alarmed. The other party said that the grudge for killing his disciple was being pursued by the Dragon King of the Ghost Gate. He wondered who the other person was.

Li Mochou also heard the sound, and she instinctively drew her sword and leaped up.

"Shh!"

Zhou Yan gestured for silence.

Li Mochou moved to his side, "Let's go."

A voice rang out again from the woods, "There's a temple over there, let's go take a look."

"it is good!"

Zhou Yan took the iron bow, and the figures in the distance became clearer. There were two people on the other side. One was a thin man with a blue face and three large fleshy bumps on his forehead that trembled and swayed. The other man had a shiny bald head.

With their highly recognizable appearances, Zhou Yan easily identified the people: the bald one was Ghost Dragon King Sha Tongtian, and the blue-faced one was Three-Headed Dragon Hou Tonghai.

As the stranger approached, the horse snorted uneasily. Sha Tongtian paused for a moment, then burst into laughter: "It must be here! Heaven has intervened..."

"careful!"

The arrow Zhou Yan shot from the temple arrived in an instant. Hou Tonghai, who was giving the warning, reacted quickly, smashing the arrow away with his steel fork. He took two steps, then explosively raised his arm and threw the steel fork.

The steel fork ripped through the air, whistling in from outside the temple gate with the sound of wind and thunder.

The moment Hou Tonghai raised his arm, Zhou Yan lowered his shoulder and slid to dodge.

Li Mochou, having learned her lesson from her lack of experience, was about to attack with her sword when suddenly a powerful steel fork came hurtling through the air. Her shapely body abruptly slid backward, parallel to the ground, without her back getting dusty, and flew several feet away.

The steel fork whistled past the bridge of his nose, smashing through the mud wall and disappearing into the night.

Hou Tonghai threw out his steel fork and lunged forward, rushing in in an instant. Zhou Yan then unleashed a powerful "Mount Hua Cleave" strike.

The three-headed dragon swung its hand and smashed open, the iron wrist guard clashing with the blade, sparks flying everywhere. In the dark space, Zhou Yan's steel knife flew out, but he remained calm in the face of danger, throwing a punch with a whoosh, a move called "Charging into Battle and Slaying Generals," which was a move from the "Taizu Long Fist." This move was extremely elegant and graceful, with a powerful and fierce punch, demonstrating great skill.

Hou Tonghai took a half-step to the side, his right hand gripping Zhou Yan's joint. He lowered his arm and used the "Yan Qing Fist" grappling technique to dismantle and reverse the grip. In the dark temple, first two arms, then all four arms were entangled together. Zhou Yan took a few steps and spun rapidly. Dust and wind carried the two of them away, crashing through the wall and rolling to the ground.

The two landed and immediately separated. Zhou Yan leaped into the air with a "flip," and at the same time, Hou Tonghai, who had also risen to his feet, was about to attack when suddenly a voice rang out:

"Hou Tonghai, you are a well-known figure, yet you bully a young boy. Aren't you ashamed?"

Zhou Yan looked in the direction of the sound and saw a middle-aged beggar sitting on the black tiles of the temple roof. The man had a long face, a slight beard under his chin, rough hands and feet, and his clothes were covered with patches. He held a jade-green bamboo cane in his hand and carried a large vermilion gourd on his back.

Zhou Yan's pupils contracted slightly. Green bamboo staff, dog-beating stick—the newcomer was Hong Qigong.

(End of this chapter)