The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 78 Night Raid on Prince Zhao's Mansion, Iron Corpse Mei Chaofeng

The sky was like a vast dome, and heavy snow covered the capital.

The snowy evening came early, and just as the last rays of sunlight were about to soak into the rows of houses, Zhou Yan left the courtyard.

Throughout the afternoon, his conversation with the two Quanzhen disciples mainly focused on Daoist scriptures.

Despite being a镖师 (bodyguard/escort), his words were filled with a thirst for knowledge, which pleased Ma Yu and Wang Chuyi, who readily shared their knowledge.

When Zhou Yan left the courtyard, he felt that with his current understanding of Taoist terminology, he should be able to understand the "Nine Yin Manual" if he were to obtain it.

He told the two Quanzhen disciples that the escort agency would arrange for them to investigate the Six Heroes of Jiangnan. In reality, he simply wanted to go to the Yuelai Inn first to see if the six heroes were still there, and then wait a couple of days to inform them of the news. In this way, the matter was handled properly and thoroughly.

The cold wind howls, and the northern snow falls.

As night fell inside the house, Wang Chuyi said to Ma Yu, "If the Six Heroes of Jiangnan have entered Zhongdu, their only place of residence will be an inn. Young friend, you can arrange for scouts to investigate; they're sure to find something. We're free now, so why don't you come with me to the Wang Mansion?"
"Why are you looking at Wanyan Kang?"

"Ah."

“Okay!” Ma Yu said.

The two left the courtyard. In the darkness, everything was just a black and white silhouette. The figures of the two Quanzhen disciples floated on the rooftops of the city, which was covered in snow. They would appear occasionally and disappear into the white snow. Their gray figures stretched out in a winding line under the night sky, heading straight for the Zhao Prince's Mansion.

……

Amidst the howling of the cold wind, a few orange lanterns were lit under the eaves of the "Yuelai" Inn, their soft light falling on the clean, snow-covered bluestone ground in front of the door, reflecting an endless glow.

Zhou Yan reached the eaves, took a straw hat, shook off the snowflakes, and stepped into the inn.

"Want to grab a bite?" The waiter greeted Zhou Yan warmly.

The wind was fierce and the snow was heavy. The inn was empty, and the upstairs was quiet.

Zhou Yan said, "I'm here to inquire about someone."

The waiter hesitated, saying, "My inn is a long-established business, with a constant stream of merchants and travelers. Everyone is different, so I'm afraid I can't remember them all."

Zhou Yan took a coin and gave it to the waiter.

The waiter's face immediately changed color. "Sir, please tell me what happened, and see if it has any impact on me."

"There were about six or seven people, including women around thirty years old and an old man with a shave-off cheek who was holding an iron staff."

The waiter suddenly laughed, "I remember, the blind man walks like the wind, anyone who sees him will remember him perfectly. There's also a guest about the same age as you, dressed in fine clothes. These are all strange people with unusual appearances, and they're very generous. Oh, and there's a scholar-looking man, lazy and smug, always looking like he hasn't woken up yet. He and the woman with the sword went downstairs and left not long ago, and haven't come back."

Zhou Yan understood. The waiter said that the richly dressed young man was Guo Jing, and the ones leaving the inn were "The Master Scholar" Zhu Cong and "The Yue Maiden Swordswoman" Han Xiaoying.

The Six Heroes of Jiangnan and the Golden Saber Prince Consort are all present.

"Thank you, waiter."

The one tael of silver Zhou Yan had given was not a small amount, and the waiter, being shrewd, casually asked, "Is there anything else you would like to tell me, sir?"

"That's all, thank you!"

He turned and left the inn.

"Sir, please take care!"

The waiter escorted him to the eaves, and he was in a good mood. With just a few words, he got a coin, enough to add meat to the table during the New Year and for his wife to have new clothes.

As Zhou Yan walked along the street, recalling the waiter's words, he wondered if Zhu Cong and Han Xiaoying had gone to the Prince's Mansion after leaving the inn at night.

After a moment's consideration, he headed towards the Prince's residence.

……

The boundless snowfield reflected a desolate silver-gray hue in the dim light. Ma Yu and Wang Chuyi, dressed like gray wild geese, descended from the archway pillars of the long street outside the Prince's Mansion. They crouched down and darted into the shadows of the alleyway next to them, arriving at the backyard of the Prince's Mansion in a few leaps.

"Senior brother, shall we go in together?"

"it is good."

The two used the "Golden Goose Skill," their bodies rising ten feet high, seemingly walking through the air amidst the flying snow, drifting forward several feet before gracefully landing in the courtyard of the Prince's Mansion.

As far as the eye could see, amidst the pure white snow, thorns and jagged rocks lay scattered, resembling countless upside-down stone swords.

Wang Chuyi asked curiously in a low voice, "Where did these thorns and rocks come from in the Prince's mansion?" He was just asking casually, and the kind-hearted Ma Yu replied, "I don't know either. I've never been a guest in the Prince's mansion."

The two exchanged questions and answers, which sounded like they were telling lame jokes.

Wang Chu paused for a moment, then shook his head with a smile and walked ahead.

After walking only ten steps, a soft whip appeared silently from the night, striking like lightning and wrapping around Wang Chuyi's ankle. The whip suddenly exerted its force, trying to pull him over.

Wang Chuyi, known as the "Iron-Legged Immortal," possessed extraordinary leg skills. Suddenly, a change occurred. He used his mind to guide his qi, channeling his strength into his legs, causing them to drop like a thousand pounds. With a snap, the soft whip straightened, and the snow on the ground rippled, forming a misty white fog.

Wang Chu felt a burning pain in his ankle, and in the darkness, he heard a "huh" sound not far away.

At that moment, Ma Yu saw a woman in black appear like a ghost from the direction of the sound. She had long hair and a face as white as paper.

His consciousness buzzed, and the bluebird of memory returned.

On the cliff top of the desert, the Black Wind Duo, Iron Corpse Mei Chaofeng.

Danyangzi exclaimed in surprise, "Mei Chaofeng!"

Upon hearing this, the woman in black stopped, seemingly deep in thought, and suddenly withdrew the soft whip that was wrapped around Wang Chuyi's ankle.

"Is that Master Ma?"

Ma Yu said, "Do you still remember this humble Taoist?"

Mei Chaofeng said, "Blind men have poor eyesight, but good hearing and memory. Back then, on the cliff top, I was enlightened by the Taoist priest, and I was grateful to him. I still remember the Taoist priest's voice."

Ma Yu remembered that back then, on a cliff in the desert, he and the Six Heroes of Jiangnan had deliberately created a false impression. Mei Chaofeng had asked about the Taoist mental cultivation method, and he had given a brief reply.

What are you doing in the Prince's residence?

"How did Master Ma get to the Prince's Mansion?"

Mei Chaofeng and Ma Yu asked questions at the same time, then fell silent.

Neither of these is a good answer.

Mei Chaofeng broke the silence, saying, "When I was in the desert, I was starving. A large group of people happened to pass by the cave where I was staying. They were speaking the Jurchen language of the Great Jin Kingdom. I went out to beg them for food. The prince in charge took pity on me and took me in, bringing me to the Zhongdu Prince's Mansion."

Wang Chuyi angrily said, "The disciples of Peach Blossom Island are actually working for the Jurchens."

Mei Chaofeng wasn't angry. She said, "How could I be their henchman? The prince doesn't know my identity. I just found a place to stay and swept the back garden for them in exchange for food. In my spare time, I practiced martial arts. They all thought of me as a pitiful blind old woman."

"I see," Ma Yu said.

“Master Ma didn’t come to the Prince’s mansion for the sake of this blind old woman.”

"No. There is another matter."

"So that's not good for the Great Jin Prince?"

Ma Yu didn't know how to answer.

"Master Ma, you should go back. There are some people with remarkable skills in the Prince's mansion recently."

The two of them would not give up so easily.

Ma Yu said, "Thank you for telling me. Take care of yourself."

The two stealthily moved forward when suddenly Mei Chaofeng asked from behind Ma Yu, "Daoist, what is meant by gathering the Five Elements and harmonizing the Four Symbols?"

Ma Yu hesitated slightly before saying, “The Wood of the East, the Metal of the West, the Fire of the South, the Water of the North, and the Earth of the Center are the Five Elements. Concealing the gaze, focusing the ears, regulating the breath, and keeping the tongue still are the Four Symbols.”

"Thank you for your guidance, Master Ma." Mei Chaofeng's figure flickered and disappeared into the jagged rocks.

Wang Chuyi said, "Senior brother, she is seeking the cultivation methods of the Daoist school."

Ma Yu sighed, "Back then, on the cliff top in the desert, she asked me the same question. I didn't realize it at the time and gave her a few pointers. Every cause has its consequences. Just now, she kindly reminded me, and considering her loneliness, I brought it up. I hope she can start anew."

Wang Chuyi said no more, and the two of them moved in a zigzag pattern toward the brightest part of the Wang Mansion.

　Many thanks to "Finally Have Time", "Boundless Romance 1976", "Indeed Daydreaming", and "Three Cripples" for their generous donations.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)