The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 75 Buttocks Up, Wild Geese Descending on the Sandbank

The snowflakes were as large as mats. Danyangzi Ma Yu moved like a fish and as light as a goose, and in a flash he went from the front of the yellow horse to its tail. He reached out and grabbed the Hu escort.

The bodyguard was shocked and, before he could draw his sword, lashed out with his whip at Danyangzi.

Ma Yu's right palm struck the镖师's wrist in an instant. The镖师 immediately felt a tingling numbness in his wrist, his five fingers went limp, and the whip was snatched away by Dan Yangzi.

The Hu escort was shocked. He realized he had misjudged the Taoist priest, who was actually a master. The priest treated him as if he were nothing. The move he just made was clearly the legendary "disarming a sword with bare hands" technique.

The thought had barely formed in his mind when Danyangzi suddenly reached out with his left hand, grabbed the bodyguard, and threw him away.

Just like Zhou Yan recently threw away Lei Luo, the former owner of the Four Seas.

The Hu escort was agile and nimble. He somersaulted in the air and landed steadily on the ground. However, Ma Yu used a clever technique. When the escort landed, he suddenly felt dizzy and unbalanced. He fell forward on the street with a thud.

The snow on the street was trampled solid and slippery. The Hu镖师 (bodyguard/escort) slid upside down for several feet before disappearing into a snowdrift by the roadside.

Zhou Yan witnessed this scene and couldn't help but think of the "Wild Geese Landing on the Sandbank with Their Buttocks in the Air" pose. With this thought in mind, he smiled slightly and strode towards the two Quanzhen disciples.

Seeing their companions being taken advantage of, another镖师 (bodyguard/escort) from Changfeng镖局 (Changfeng Escort Agency) roared and was about to draw their swords to attack. Helian Chuncheng, who had seen the whole scene from inside the carriage, shouted, "Stop!"

The young master of Changfeng did not think there was anything wrong with his bodyguards attacking the Taoist who did not give way. Escort agencies have complicated rules, and avoiding trouble is the way to protect oneself. However, conversely, when one's strength reaches a certain level, all the rules can be broken.

The Changfeng Escort Agency in Datong Prefecture mainly escorted goods to the Western Regions and within the Great Wall. Yin Kexi's ancestors had been doing business between Persia and China, and their strength and reputation were renowned in the Western Regions. With the Yin family joining the Changfeng Escort Agency, the Helian family was like a tiger with wings, and they were invincible in the Western Regions and within the Great Wall. The escorts of the Changfeng Escort Agency were arrogant and it was common for them to break the law with their martial arts.

The Changfeng Escort Agency in Datong Prefecture was no different from gangs like the Yellow River Gang.

Helian Chuncheng had a keen eye; the moment Danyangzi made his move, he knew he was a hidden master. Having suffered a setback at the Fu'an Escort Agency, it was indeed not the right time to stir up trouble.

He alighted from the carriage, cupped his hands, and said, "My subordinate was blind and offended you, Daoist Master. May I ask what your Daoist Master's name is?"

As he spoke, he saw Wang Chuyi perform a Taoist salute, but not towards him. Zhou Yan had already entered Helian Chuncheng's peripheral vision. The young man respectfully cupped his hands and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Taoist Master!"

Zhou Yan genuinely respected Yu Yangzi. Without the Taoist master's instruction and explanation of the Taoist classics, he wouldn't have been able to purchase the "Huainanzi" and "Benjing Yinfu Qishu" on his way back to Zhongdu from Jingzhou, comprehend swordsmanship in the Taihang Mountains, and make significant progress in his swordsmanship. Moreover, the breakthroughs in many of his skills were inseparable from the foundation laid by the Quanzhen Sect's internal energy cultivation.

Seeing Zhou Yan's improved martial arts skills, Wang Chuyi was delighted and said with a smile, "No need for formalities, don't be so polite."

Yu Yangzi changed the subject and said, "My senior brother Dan Yangzi and I were just about to stay at your place when we unexpectedly ran into you at the entrance of the escort agency."

Zhou Yan suddenly realized that the white-browed, white-bearded man was Ma Yu, the kind old man who taught Guo Jing martial arts.

Among the Seven Masters of Quanzhen, these two are the most gentle, kind, and fair in character.

Qiu Chuji was a righteous man, that goes without saying, but he also hated evil as if it were his enemy, with the fiery personality of a thunderbolt.

"I am Zhou Yan, and I pay my respects to Master Ma."

"No need for formalities!" Danyangzi waved his wide sleeves and was about to lift Zhou Yan up.

He calmed his inner energy and bowed steadily.

Ma Yu inwardly scoffed and stopped insisting, accepting Zhou Yan's bow.

Helian Chuncheng's heart skipped a beat. He didn't recognize the Seven Masters of Quanzhen, but he had heard of their names. As the young master of Changfeng Escort Agency, he was arrogant, but also adept at flattery and opportunism. He put on an apologetic expression, cupped his hands, and said, "So you are Master Ma of the Quanzhen Sect. My men were rash and offended you. Please forgive them. I am Helian Chuncheng of Changfeng Escort Agency."

If it were Qiu Chuji, he would probably have snorted coldly at this moment, but Danyangzi Ma Yu was good-tempered. Seeing Helian Chuncheng apologize, he said, "It's alright, but that escort was really arrogant. I punished him, and I hope Young Master Helian will not mind."

"You're too kind, Daoist Master. My subordinates were blind and offended you. We will punish them severely later. We won't disturb you any longer. Farewell."

"No problem." Helian Chuncheng cupped his hands in greeting, turned and got into the carriage, heading straight for Changfeng Escort Agency.

The Hu escort was helped onto a yellow horse by his companions and left in a sorry state.

When Zhou Yan heard Wang Chuyi say that the two were going to his courtyard, he felt it was inconvenient to introduce the two Quanzhen disciples to the escort agency. He was about to explain to Zhang Wangyue when, as he turned around, a group of men were already approaching in a carriage.

As the snow suddenly swirled, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) stood tall, gazing at the scene with a smile.

Warm-hearted, he cupped his hands in greeting to Zhang Wangyue and said, "Master Ma, Master Wang, it's still several miles from here to my courtyard. Why don't we move to the carriage?"

Wang Chu thought to himself that Zhou Yan was of upright character, and the head of this escort agency was also a trustworthy person. Compared with the group from Changfeng Escort Agency, it was true that "one is influenced by one's surroundings."

Yu Yangzi bowed to Zhang Wangyue from a distance, and Zhang Wangyue quickly returned the bow. The two were quite far apart, but their bow and return of the bow fully demonstrated their demeanor and refinement.

“Senior brother, what young friend Zhou Yan said makes sense. Let’s get in the carriage and continue our journey.” Yu Yangzi was already addressing Zhou Yan as “young friend.”

Ma Yu laughed and said, "It saves me the trouble of walking, which is great. Thank you, young friend and esteemed镖头 (bodyguard/escort)."

"You're too kind, Daoist Master, please!" Zhou Yan lifted the carriage curtain.

Wang Chuyi and Ma Yu boarded the carriage, and Zhou Yan followed closely behind. The coachman flicked the reins, and the wheels rolled through the wind and snow, heading straight for Zhou Yan's courtyard.

……

"How delightful!" Hu Yanlei exhaled two puffs of white breath as he watched the departing carriage, his eyebrows dancing with delight.

"It's a pity that Brother Zhou will be absent from our evening drinking session with Brother Yang," Wang Kui said with regret.

"No merchants will come to our door to deliver goods in this heavy snow, but there will be plenty of opportunities to cause trouble."

"Brother, you have a truly broad mind," Wang Kui said with a smile.

When Mu Nianci first heard that Zhou Yan was absent in the evening, she felt quite disappointed. But after hearing what Hu Yanlei said, she felt that it made sense. After this incident, she suddenly realized that she really liked Fu'an.

……

When Zhang Wangyue arrived at the council hall, his employer, Duan Huai'an, had already learned the details of what had happened on the long street from the other bodyguards.

The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) entered and said, "Zhou Yan has truly upheld the reputation of the镖局 (bodyguard/escort agency) today."

“Indeed!” Zhang Wangyue laughed.

Duan Huai'an suddenly said, "Changfeng Escort Agency came with malicious intent. They want to do business, but they also want to steal business."

"That's right!"

"Preparation is key to success, so the escort agency should also plan ahead. Once Chief Escort Shi's team arrives and we conduct an assessment, we will appoint Master Yang and his daughter as escorts. At that time, we will also announce the promotion of Zhou Yan to chief escort. Also, I think Fu'an should have a chief escort. Hu Yanlei, Wang Kui, and Shi Baichuan have been working diligently since their mission to Jingzhou. According to the escorts and porters, the three of them have been practicing tirelessly and their martial arts have improved significantly. I think they are suitable to be chief escorts. What do you think, chief escort?"

Zhang Wangyue stood up, cupped his hands, and said:
"Thank you, boss!"

　There will be another update tonight. Thank you all so much for your votes and recommendations! I'm incredibly grateful!

(End of this chapter)