The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 71: Sparring and Testing
"Brother Zhou, go practice your shooting."

As Hu Yanlei walked out of the council hall, he let out a long sigh and said to Zhou Yan.

"it is good!"

Both of them were in good spirits, because Fu'an had a discerning employer and a good head镖师 (bodyguard/escort).

"If someone is kind to me, I will be kind to them in return; if someone is unkind to me, I will treat them the same way."

When Zhou Yan said this to Zhang Wangyue, it wasn't like the Fu'an Escort Agency and Changfeng Escort Agency, where they fought like gangs clashing over territory and business, resulting in bloodshed. He meant to stop the fighting with force.

The escort agency's business needs to continue, but Changfeng's aggressive manner necessitates a strong counterattack.

A strong stance and a powerful counterattack are, in times of chaos, a survival strategy. Conversely, if you retreat while others advance, and there's no way out, it's usually too late to find a way out.

Zhang Wangyue agreed with Zhou Yan's suggestion, and Hu Yanlei finally felt relieved.

When the two arrived at the martial arts arena, Yang Tiexin, Wang Kui, Shi Baichuan, and others were already there. The group sat together, drinking brick tea and discussing martial arts, as well as the tests conducted on Yang Tiexin and his daughter.

The escort agency's team traveling through Sichuan has already arranged for its convoy to return to the capital ahead of schedule. The escort team led by Shi Xiangui will arrive in a few days. The examination is also scheduled for this period. Calculating the time, it will only be a few days.

The test was nothing more than having the senior bodyguards of the escort agency demonstrate their skills, so Wang Kui and Shi Baichuan talked about the famous techniques of the best bodyguards in the agency, so that Yang Tiexin and his daughter could know themselves and their opponents.

When Mu Nianci saw Hu Yanlei and Zhou Yan approaching, she quickly got up and went to the edge of the martial arts field. She took a teapot and a porcelain bowl from the stove and brought them over: "Hu Yanlei and Zhou Yanlei, please have some tea."

"Thank you."

Zhou Yan took the teacup, hooked a stone lock with his foot, and sat on it.

Hu Yanlei had already started talking and told everyone about how Changfeng Escort Agency had taken over Sihai Escort Agency. Suddenly, under the gloomy sky, the angry curses of Wang Kui and Shi Baichuan rang out.

“Brother Zhou, if the boss agrees, and Lei Luo from Sihai comes with Helian Chuncheng, then we’ll fight them to the death. With us brothers backing them up, there’s no need to worry,” Shi Baichuan said.

"Definitely!" Zhou Yan said with a smile. He then changed the subject and said to Mu Nianci, "When Chief Escort Shi's team returns to the escort agency, the assessment will begin. If nothing unexpected happens, you will be competing against the escorts from Chief Escort Shi's team. Are you prepared?"

"Yes, that's what Escort Wang and Escort Shi were talking about."

Hu Yanlei said, "Brother Zhou's martial arts skills have surpassed ours. Why don't you and Miss Mu spar and practice?"

The bodyguard was right. Zhou Yan was proficient in fist techniques, and now he was also skilled in spear and sword techniques, and his knife skills were not bad either. He had learned the Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber from Wang Kui. During his time back at the escort agency, he would occasionally display amazing leg techniques, making him the perfect sparring partner.

Zhou Yan asked with a smile, "No problem, gentlemen, who do you think is most likely the person from Chief Escort Shi's side who tested Miss Mu?"

"Cui Qingshan!" Hu Yanlei and the others exclaimed in unison.

“I think so too.” Zhou Yan stood up, took the stone lock, and said to Mu Nianci, “Master Cui’s weapon is an iron abacus, which he swings to smash and lock weapons. I will use the stone lock as an abacus and spar with Miss Mu for a few rounds.”

"Great!" Mu Nianci was truly grateful to Zhou Yan and excited. She got up, straightened her clothes, and took out an iron spear from the weapon rack.

The crowd made way for Mu Nianci, who stood in the center of the arena, holding a long spear. The tip of the spear made a soft sound as it scraped against the smooth bluestone ground.

Zhou Yan held a stone lock, and the two were about ten feet apart.

"Zhou, the bodyguard, I'm drawing my gun."

"it is good!"

Mu Nianci's red dress suddenly trembled. She held her spear horizontally, the tip of the spear moving forward along a straight line without the slightest sway, which was the "Central Horizontal Spear".

A stick, a knife, a lifetime of spear—a precious sword is always at hand. To master a spear, one must put in years of hard work, like Hu Yanlei, who practiced spear for twenty years without fail.

Mu Nianci hasn't been using guns for very long, but her skill level at this point at least demonstrates her exceptional talent for guns.

"Good!" Hu Yanlei cheered.

Yang Tiexin was also quite pleased, as his daughter's skill level was indeed well-suited for shooting.

Zhou Yan seemed oblivious to the approaching spearhead, simply waiting quietly.

At that moment, Mu Nianci flicked her wrist, and her spear flashed out in a flourish, her attack covering Zhou Yan's chest, abdomen, shoulders, and neck. Zhou Yan raised the stone lock in his hand and brought it down in a flash. With a "bang," the spearhead was smashed open. The flat spear, which should have been rotating at the center point, was disrupted by the falling stone lock, creating a gap in its trajectory. Before Mu Nianci could change her move, he lunged forward, the stone lock crashing down again and again, spreading inch by inch, striking the front, middle, and end of the iron spear.

Hu Yanlei gasped. Back during the escort competition at the Sihai Escort Agency, the Zhou brothers had displayed astonishing quick thinking by using a stone lock to restrain Lu An's iron spear. Now, they'd come up with another new tactic. If he were facing the Zhou brothers, he wouldn't be able to react well either.

Mu Nianci panicked. With a "whoosh" sound, Shi Suo slammed into her hand bone with the end of the spear. She retreated in a panic, and suddenly felt the spear become lighter. Zhou Yan had already withdrawn his attack and retreated several feet away.

Mu Nianci became dejected. If she were to actually fight against Cui Qingshan, as the bodyguards had described, wouldn't she suffer a crushing defeat?

Wang Kui, Yang Tiexin, and others entered the venue.

Hu Yanlei said, "This is how Cui Qingshan makes his move. Miss Mu, don't be discouraged. This move is easy to counter. When he comes down, just let the spearhead hit the ground and then use the 'Looking at the Sword by the Lamp' move to stab him in the abdomen."

Mu Nianci suddenly realized, "That's exactly it!"

Zhou Yan interrupted, “‘Examining the sword by lamplight’ can indeed be broken. Cui Qingshan’s emergency rescue will probably involve using an abacus lock. If you can be quick and sharp, and twist the iron spear with a flick of your wrist, the spearhead will be like a drill, and he will be unable to lock it.”

“That’s right,” Huyan Lei said.

"But this requires not only quick eyes and hands, but also the ability to seize fleeting opportunities, as well as exceptional arm and wrist strength."

“That’s true.” Hu Yanlei pondered. He had instructed Mu Nianci in marksmanship and knew that this was her weakness.

Wang Kui said, "Brother Zhou, since you say so, do you already have a brilliant plan?"

Hu Yanlei looked at Zhou Yan.

"Miss Mu, may I borrow your gun?"

Mu Nianci handed the gun to Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yu first assumed a level spear stance, then retreated and quickly drew his spear, holding the middle of the spear with both hands. He spun around, and in an instant, the spearhead unleashed a powerful, rounded motion, the spearhead like a stunning slash.

This was the very shot Zhang Sanqiang used at the "Drunken Immortal Pavilion" in Xiangyang, the one that severed the head of the Imperial City Guard.

Zhou Yan sheathed his spear and said, "If this move doesn't work, then use the momentum of your body's rotation to unleash a 'returning spear' move, and that should be about right."

"Wonderful!" Hu Yanlei's eyes lit up. He wanted to ask Zhou Yan how he knew such spear skills, but remembering Zhang Wangyue's advice that everyone has their own destiny and one should not force it, he forcibly kept his mouth shut.

Mu Nianci snapped out of her daze and said with delight, "Thank you, Escort Zhou."

"Miss Mu, please don't be so polite."

"Brother Zhou's move was a stroke of genius," Shi Baichuan said.

"How could I possess such talent? I've been pondering this for a whole month." In fact, he said this to Mu Nianci so as not to discourage her.

In the remaining time, Zhou Yan explained in detail to Mu Nianci the power exertion, energy circulation, and coordination of body movements between the moves. This was not a problem for Mu Nianci, who had cultivated "Free and Easy Wandering" and was skilled in agility.

Time has passed the hour.

All the flags of the Sihai Escort Agency have been changed to those of the Changfeng Escort Agency.

The镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) from Changfeng镖局 (Changfeng Escort Agency) had prepared a gift for their visit.

Yin Kexi said to Helian Chuncheng, "Should we let Lei Luo come along as well?"

The young master of Changfeng laughed:

“Of course, otherwise how would we test Fu’an’s bottom line?”

The snowflakes fell gently again.

Helian Chuncheng, Yin Kexi, Lei Luo, and several others left the Sihai Escort Agency, whose signboard had already been removed, and boarded a carriage heading straight for Fu'an.

(End of this chapter)