Chapter 63: The Ancient Evil, King of Hell on Earth
The wind, rolling with snow, was like a rising tide, beating against the round-and-square oiled paper windows, making rustling sounds. In the dead of night, this noise was particularly jarring.
The young Escort Lu got up from the kang head, walked to the window, and looked outside through the gap.
The north wind roared, snow swirled, dogs whined, and the night arrived.
Escort Su drank wine from a porcelain bowl and said, “Don’t be so suspicious. Do you think Zhang Wangyue would brazenly attack? This is Daxing Prefecture, not Fengling Ferry.”
When Escort Su mentioned Fengling Ferry, Escort Lu An’s complexion turned grim again.
During the Battle of Fengling Ferry, Hou Tonghai, the Three-Headed Flood Dragon of the Yellow River Gang, followed the instructions of his Senior Brother, the Ghost Gate Dragon King, and headed straight for Lin’an Prefecture, all while being relentlessly pursued by Huang Rong.
The Thousand Hand Butcher’s two disciples, “Iron Arms Arhat” and “Ground Rolling Tiger,” were captured and interrogated by Zhou Yan. The escort team was annihilated after crossing the Yellow River. Besides them, all the capable members of the Yellow River Gang and Peng Lianhu’s forces who participated in the battle were wiped out. The remaining underlings didn’t even know where their bosses were to send a message.
The Boss of the Four Seas Escort Agency, the Head Escort, and the three Escorts who planned this matter felt their emotions rise and fall like a galloping horse. When Fu’an’s escort team departed, they were ecstatic, believing it was foolproof. However, based on the estimated time, the survivors of Fu’an’s escort team, like stray dogs, should have returned to Zhongdu, yet Fu’an was bustling with merchants, as stable as Mount Tai.
Lei Luo, the Head Escort, Escort Lu, and others experienced a rollercoaster of emotions.
Escort Lu initially inquired at the Zhao Wang Manor, and Sha Tongtian replied that there was no need to worry. A month ago, he went to inquire again but saw no sign of anyone. It was in this state of unease that Fu’an’s escort team entered Zhongdu City.
In the evening, the three of them met. By this time, they knew the Yellow River Gang had failed, and it wasn’t the time to find Sha Tongtian. The most pressing matter was to discuss a plan of action.
Teased by Escort Su, Escort Lu walked over sheepishly and sat on the kang head.
Escort Su said, “Even if the Yellow River Gang failed, Fu’an doesn’t know that we hired people behind the scenes. What is there to fear? We can find out everything tomorrow by asking Cui Changshun.”
Escort Lu’s complexion was somber, and he nodded slightly, “That’s the only way.”
“Perhaps we should find the Boss first and hire some ruthless individuals to guard the escort agency,” Escort Lu suggested.
Lu An said, “That’s not advisable. Wouldn’t that be like protesting too much? Brother Su is right; we mustn’t panic. Tomorrow, we’ll ask Cui Changshun first.”
“But I just feel uneasy,” Escort Lu said.
“If the sky falls, the Boss and the Head Escort will bear it.”
“That’s true,” Escort Lu agreed, picking up his wine bowl.
The sound of dogs barking faintly echoed, and Escort Lu was about to get up again. Lu An glared, and the young escort sat down, but he felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.
The wind and snow were fierce. A faint light shone through the window onto the courtyard. Buildings, arranged like scales, extended along the courtyard wall. Zhou Yan, Zhang Wangyue, and Huyan Lei appeared and disappeared intermittently into the white expanse, rising and falling as they approached the siheyuan where Escort Su resided.
Zhou Yan and the others first went to the Four Seas Escort Agency. The night watchman was a very ordinary escort. The three then went to Escort Lu’s place. His wife and concubine sat on the kang head, but their rival was nowhere to be seen.
It was known that Escort Su and Escort Lu were unmarried. In the snowy night, the three of them moved stealthily.
Zhou Yan looked through the door gap at the lamplight on the oiled paper window and said in a low voice to Zhang Wangyue and Huyan Lei, “It’s here.”
“The three of them must have gotten together after seeing the escort team return to figure out how to cover this up,” Huyan Lei cursed.
Zhou Yan chuckled lowly and said, “I’ll go in. One hundred breaths, and I’ll be done.”
Huyan Lei chuckled, “So confident.”
Zhou Yan was indeed confident. During the competing escort, he had already defeated Escort Su and taken Escort Lu’s spear. His trip to Jingzhou, both ways, had increased his internal force, so what difficulty could there be?
Zhang Wangyue naturally believed Zhou Yan. His martial arts were extraordinary, and how could he not sense the changes in Zhou Yan’s aura upon seeing him again?
“Hurry up and go. We’ll keep watch.”
“Alright!”
Zhou Yan’s toes touched the ground, and he used the “Golden Goose Skill.” His movements were as light as flying down, and with a whoosh, he leaped over the snow-covered, ten-foot-high courtyard wall.
Huyan Lei’s mouth hung open, unable to close: “Head Escort, he couldn’t use lightness skill before.”
“That was before.”
Huyan Lei looked back at the footprints they had left in the snow.
The snow was half a foot deep. The Head Escort’s footprints were three inches deep, Zhou Yan’s were about four inches, and his own feet were firmly planted.
The escort with a leopard’s head and ringed eyes let out a chuckle, “Brother Zhou truly gives people surprises.”
…
Zhou Yan landed, his figure charging forward like a ferocious beast. The snow beneath his feet scattered in all directions, forming white snow lotuses that extended towards the lit room.
Escort Lu, already suspicious, heard the commotion and leaped off the kang head. He took a step to the window. The moment his eyes peered through the gap, the window frame shattered with a boom. Like a dragon’s head, claws extended in, gripping his shoulder. Then, Escort Lu felt a powerful force surge from his shoulder, and he was yanked into the air, crashing towards the window.
“Who’s there?”
“How dare you!”
Escort Lu and Escort Su sprang up, but in the next moment, Escort Lu, whose body was half-pulled out, paused in mid-air. Then, Zhou Yan pushed him towards Escort Lu with a move called “Kanglong Regret.”
With a “bang,” two figures in the room tumbled together.
Zhou Yan broke through the window. Before Escort Su could even assume a fighting stance, the “Yue Family Scattered Hands” rolling elbow landed heavily on his head.
Escort Su’s hair stood on end. He staggered back. Zhou Yan’s leg swept out like a falling leaf, sending the Four Seas Escort Agency escort flying out of the room and crashing heavily against the wall before bouncing back onto the kang.
Escort Lu, who had leaped up with a “Kite Turns Over,”‘s eyes were about to burst:
“Zhou Yan…”
Escort Lu’s hands suddenly locked together. White mist erupted in the air. Zhou Yan used a move from “Yue Family Scattered Hands,” “Black Tiger Cuts Tail,” shifting his weight to his left leg. With a feint, his left palm chopped forward to the left.
Escort Lu retreated a step, listening to the sound to determine his opponent’s position. Zhou Yan advanced agilely, his palm strike transforming into an elbow strike, and he raised his right knee.
The elbow struck like a blade, and the knee hit like a spear, landing on Escort Lu, whose eyes were blinded by lime. The thudding sounds were like the booming of cowhide drums.
Escort Lu was smashed against the wall with an expression of disbelief. As his body slumped towards the ground, he cried out in grief and indignation:
“Lime!”
“Zhou Yan, you despicable scoundrel! Shameless wretch!”
“Clang.”
Zhou Yan drew the long saber that Escort Lu had hung on the wall. Escort Lu’s mournful voice instantly changed its tone, “You dare kill me? Ah… we can talk!”
The blade sliced through the flying snow that had blown in through the broken window. With a “puff,” the blood changed color.
Zhou Yan’s fingers moved like the wind, pressing the “Yamen” acupoint between the “Renying” and “Shuitu” acupoints on the back of Escort Lu’s and Escort Su’s necks.
He could perform acupoint striking, which was thanks to his increased internal force and the diagram of human meridians and acupoints given to him by Zhang Wangyue.
Escort Lu and Escort Su felt as if something was stuck in their throats, making gurgling sounds, unable to speak. Zhou Yan pulled a quilt from the kang, wrapped the two of them in it, and carried them out the door, heading straight for the courtyard wall.
Zhang Wangyue counted to ninety breaths and suddenly heard a sound. The quilt was thrown out.
Huyan Lei quickly caught it.
Zhou Yan leaped over the wall and asked:
“How many breaths?”
“I thought you would be out in eighty breaths,” Zhang Wangyue said.
Zhou Yan smiled apologetically, “Next time!”
The wind and snow intensified slightly. The burly Huyan Lei carried the quilt wrapped around the two escorts, and the three headed straight for the Fu’an Escort Agency.
