Chapter 101: Youthful Spirit, Mutual Admiration
Zhou Yan rode a yellow-spotted horse, holding a fine steel spear, with a qinggang sword at his waist and an iron-bow quiver on his back. Beside him, Mei Chaofeng, on a qingcong horse, was dressed in black, holding a soft whip, her dark hair flying.
As the two approached the bandits, he quickly observed.
The group numbered over a hundred, with more than thirty riders. Several riders were forming a defense around the escort cart, shooting arrows with considerable skill, posing a great threat to the escorts and runners of the Zhenwei Escort Agency.
The bandits on horseback were also fierce. Few bandits charged alone with a knife; they moved in groups of three to five, attacking ferociously from the sides. Some bandits even wielded spears for thrusting.
Since starting his career as a runner and escorting goods across the land, Zhou Yan had gained extensive experience. He could tell at a glance that this group of bandits was not an ordinary gathering of desperate mountain folk.
He saw the shadow of the cultists under Zhang Sanqiang from Jingzhou in this group of bandits, as well as some military styles. Over ten bandit riders remained stationary, and the one at the front held a werewolf club; he was likely the leader.
“Follow me. The bandit leader’s weapon is a werewolf club,” Zhou Yan said to Mei Chaofeng, confident she could identify the weapon by sound. If they encountered him in the melee, they could kill the leader first.
“Understood!” Mei Chaofeng was fierce and spoke little.
The bandits did not notice their approach. Zhou Yan was less than one hundred and fifty large paces from the escort cart, well within range of the iron bow.
With a “swish,” he planted the fine steel spear into the ground and unslung his quiver.
In the hazy morning light, the iron bow was drawn to a breathtaking arc.
…
The air was filled with the stench of blood, and dust and smoke billowed.
A bandit on horseback drew his bow and nocked an arrow, aiming at a young man holding twin spears.
“Kid, let’s see how long you can be arrogant,” the bandit sneered.
The sharp whistle of the arrow exploded in his ears. With a “thud,” the arrowhead tore through the back of the bandit’s head and pierced through his facial bone.
The immense penetrating force sent him flying from his tall horse, crashing heavily to the ground.
In an instant, arrows flew like meteors, each one hitting its mark. Zhou Yan shot thirteen arrows from horseback, killing ten archers, both mounted and on the ground. However, three, seeing their companions shot, reacted quickly and dodged the fatal arrows by hiding in their stirrups.
As the bandit leader, wielding the werewolf club, turned his head towards the sound, Zhou Yan and Mei Chaofeng had already charged forward.
The bandit leader, as imposing as an iron tower, was furious.
“Kill this pair of dogs.”
The bandits beside him roared and charged towards Zhou Yan and Mei Chaofeng.
As they closed the distance, Mei Chaofeng’s soft whip flew out before Zhou Yan’s fine steel spear. The whip struck directly at the chest of the approaching bandit. The whip tip then rose, like a dead snake suddenly striking back, whistling out towards the bandit’s face. Before the whip tip even arrived, the force it carried made the bandit gasp for breath. The bandit hastily blocked with his steel knife. Whip and knife clashed, and with a jolt, the bandit’s long saber flew out of his hand.
The whip tip struck the bandit’s face like a shattered pot, splattering red blood and black hair into the air.
In front of Zhou Yan, a bandit, galloping at full speed, gathered his essence, qi, and spirit to the peak and fiercely thrust his spear. Zhou Yan, on his horse, leaned sideways, clamped his arm around the spear, and thrust his right hand’s fine steel spear forward, piercing the opponent’s head with a “thud.”
He withdrew his spear, and his yellow-spotted horse galloped into the enemy ranks. With a simple yet sharp move from the Yue Family Spear Technique, “Lonely Mountain Miles,” he thrust straight forward. The spearhead “clanged” against the bandit’s zhanmadao in front of him, bending into a powerful arc.
Zhou Yan slightly retracted his strength, and the iron spear sprang back into a straight line, using the force of the shock to send the opponent’s zhanmadao flying into the sky.
With a “thud,” the great spear pierced through the chest of the bandit, whose arm strength was astonishing, and emerged from his back.
Zhou Yan did not pull out his spear; his yellow-spotted horse galloped forward.
A clear sword cry rang out. He drew his qinggang sword with his right hand and thrust it out, transforming one move into three, one sword into three purities. The bandits on the flank saw sword light flashing within their vision, making it difficult to discern reality. The bandits roared, and with a desperate gamble, swung their steel knives at Zhou Yan.
With three “thud” sounds, the bandit’s elbow, chest, and face were simultaneously struck by the sword.
Zhou Yan’s yellow-spotted horse galloped between two bandits. To his left, a tall horse carried a lifeless bandit. Zhou Yan leaned over and pulled the fine steel spear from the bandit’s back.
Spear thrusts, sword strikes, drawing the spear – it all happened in the blink of an eye.
On the escort team’s side, the young man with twin spears watched with burning excitement. He felt his blood surge, and he wielded his twin spears. His left spear pointed, stabbed, flicked, and pierced, while his right spear swept and smashed, moving like a dragon or snake, crushing and piercing the heads, necks, hands, and feet of the bandits in front of him. In the bright spring sunlight, streams of blood sprayed and spun with the advance of the spear tip. The young man seemed to be in a bloody vortex.
“Good spear techniques,” Zhou Yan praised sincerely.
In one exchange, Zhou Yan and Mei Chaofeng dealt with the charging bandits.
As Mei Chaofeng’s soft whip swung, no one could approach within a zhang. The whip cracked, sending out white energy masses. In moments, Mei Chaofeng extended her attack towards the bandit leader.
The bandit leader was fierce but knew when to retreat. Seeing his capable subordinates decimated and the attackers’ martial arts extraordinary, he knew he could not resist. He whistled and turned his horse to flee.
How could he escape?
As Mei Chaofeng attacked, Zhou Yan had already intercepted. As his yellow-spotted horse charged diagonally forward, when it was still four or five zhang away from the bandit leader, he suddenly threw his fine steel spear.
With a “zing,” the iron spear was knocked away by the werewolf club. Zhou Yan, however, leaped forward on his galloping yellow-spotted horse, his palm momentum enveloping the opponent with “Flying Dragon in the Sky.”
The bandit leader had no time to swing his werewolf club. With a roar, he abandoned the club and used his hands in a “Heavenly King Holds Pagoda” stance to block Zhou Yan’s palm strike.
As their palms met, the bandit leader felt the force pressing down from Zhou Yan’s palm like a mountain collapsing, unstoppable.
With a crack, the bandit’s arm broke. His tall horse “crashed” to the ground like a collapsing low wall. As the bandit scrambled to his feet, Zhou Yan, advancing agilely, suddenly extended out his right hand, and with a “thud,” his five fingers plunged into the bandit’s forehead.
The bandit leader immediately ceased to breathe.
Like a tree falling, the monkeys scattered. Zhou Yan and Mei Chaofeng, by first killing the bandit leader’s capable subordinates and then the leader himself, caused the remaining shrimp soldiers and crab generals to rout. They were slaughtered by the escorts and runners led by the young man, turning their backs in retreat.
Mei Chaofeng was not interested in killing underlings.
She squatted beside the bandit leader, touching his head, which Zhou Yan had pierced with his “Crushing Hardness Divine Claw.” A look of confusion was on her face. With Zhou Yan’s cultivation level, there was no reason he should have mastered the “Nine Yin White Bone Claw” so quickly.
Mei Chaofeng could not understand it. Finally, she struck down with her palm, shattering the skull. She then summoned her qingcong horse and rode away.
Mei Chaofeng knew discretion was the better part of valor. She understood that if her identity were exposed, it would be of no benefit to Zhou Yan, and leaving was the best course of action.
Zhou Yan watched Mei Chaofeng, who was destroying the evidence and leaving, and sighed. He knew she was thinking of others.
…
The air was filled with a nauseating stench of blood, accompanied by the groans of wounded runners and bandits.
The young man, in a white robe stained with blood, handed his twin spears to an escort beside him and quickly walked up to Zhou Yan. “I am Lu Beihe of the Zhenwei Escort Agency. May I ask the young hero’s name?”
Zhou Yan was on a personal escort and not wearing an escort uniform, so Lu Beihe, who announced his identity, naturally did not recognize him. However, Zhou Yan was also puzzled. The owner of the Zhenwei Escort Agency was surnamed Han, and Lu Beihe, in his white robe and with twin spears, was somewhat different from the usual attire of an escort.
Judging by his martial arts, he should at least be a head escort. For such a valuable escort, he should be wearing the escort agency’s brocade uniform.
He cupped his hands in return. “I am Zhou Yan, head escort of the Fu’an Escort Agency.”
Lu Beihe exclaimed in surprise. “So you are Head Escort Zhou of Fu’an. My apologies. Thank you, Head Escort, for your righteous assistance. When we return to Kaifeng Prefecture, I will report this matter to my adoptive father and bring gifts to Zhongdu to express my gratitude.”
It turned out Lu Beihe was the adopted son of the owner of the Zhenwei Escort Agency. Zhou Yan politely replied, “There is no need for such formalities. Seeing injustice and drawing one’s sword is our duty. Moreover, Fu’an and Zhenwei are both engaged in the escort business, so mutual assistance is only natural.”
Although Zhou Yan’s words were polite, his heart was turbulent. The four great escort agencies – Changfeng, Fu’an, Zhenwei, and Longmen – Changfeng’s young master, Helian Chuncheng, was ostentatious and covetous.
It was difficult to directly judge the Longmen Escort Agency, but after encountering their escort team in Xiangyang, judging by the young head escort’s demeanor, he could be described as arrogant and overbearing, and likely difficult to get along with.
Lu Beihe, the young master of the Zhenwei Escort Agency, was heroic and spoke with propriety. They were all in the same profession, yet the saying “different people, different ways” applied.
“So you are the young master of Zhenwei. A pleasure to meet you.”
Lu Beihe said, “Let’s not talk about such empty titles. Are you also escorting goods, Head Escort Zhou?”
“Yes, to Taihu Lake.”
Lu Beihe said as if reciting from memory, “Going to Taihu Lake from Jinan Prefecture southward is the most optimal route. The head escort must have diverted to the Xinye area due to the conflict there.”
“Indeed. Where is Zhenwei’s escort going?”
“Jingzhou.”
Zhou Yan let out a slight sigh, thinking it was as he suspected; these mules and horses were being sent to the military camp.
“Do you know the origin of these bandits?”
“Let’s talk over here, Head Escort Zhou.”
“Alright!”
The two walked a bit further away. Lu Beihe lifted his robe and sat on the ground, and Zhou Yan followed suit.
The young head escort of the Zhenwei Escort Agency asked, “Does the head escort know of Great Qi?”
Zhou Yan knew, but it was information he had obtained from the original owner after his transmigration.
The Jin Dynasty had designated the area south of the Yellow River to be ruled by Great Qi, as a countermeasure against the Lin’an Court. However, later, dissatisfied with Emperor Liu Yu’s repeated defeats against the Lin’an Court’s army and his inability to eliminate the anti-Jin Righteous Army within his territory, they deposed Liu Yu.
“I know a little.”
“These people are the remnants of Great Qi. They have been roaming the Funiu Mountain and Tongbai Mountain areas, robbing and committing all sorts of evil deeds.”
“I see.”
“More than that, the Jingxiang area is quite unstable. There is also a group of bandits from Jiangxi active there. If the Fu’an Escort Agency travels this route, please be cautious.”
After speaking, Lu Beihe said resentfully, “The Zhenwei Escort Agency is based in Kaifeng Prefecture and has some reputation in the Xinye, Nanyang, and Xiangyang areas. Mountain strongholds and gangs would give us some face when our escort teams traveled. Who knew they would be so audacious as to attack during the early morning departure of our escort team, catching us completely off guard.”
After saying this, the young master of Zhenwei couldn’t help but praise again, “Head Escort Zhou and the other head escorts who captured the leader first are truly masters. If you pass through Kaifeng Prefecture on your return journey from the Taihu Lake escort, please visit our agency.”
Since Changfeng could annex the Four Seas Escort Agency to deal with Fu’an, Zhou Yan could plan for the long term and ally with Zhenwei to counter Changfeng. He said, “I will.”
“A gentleman’s word!”
“It’s as good as gold.”
“I have one more thing to ask.”
“Please, go ahead.”
Zhou Yan said, “Fu’an also escorted goods to Jingzhou last year, primarily mules and horses. The client was a merchant named Lu.”
Lu Beihe said, “Coincidentally, Zhenwei’s escort this time is also for that.”
“Does the young master know the whereabouts of Merchant Lu?”
“I don’t know. My adoptive father would not ask directly.” Lu Beihe pondered, “Is the head escort worried that Merchant Lu went to Zhongdu, and Fu’an will escort goods to Jingzhou again? And encounter the remnants of Great Qi and the Jiangxi bandits along the way.”
“Indeed.”
After Lu Beihe pondered, he said, “How about this: I will send a runner to Kaifeng Prefecture to inform my adoptive father of this matter, and the agency will send another runner to Zhongdu with a letter.”
“How about I entrust you, young master, to deliver a letter to Fu’an in Zhongdu?”
Lu Beihe laughed heartily. “Head Escort Zhou is incredibly thoughtful. Of course!”
The young master of Zhenwei immediately summoned a runner for writing materials. Zhou Yan wrote a letter, which was sealed with wax. The escort fee would be settled upon delivery. Zhou Yan and Mei Chaofeng had repelled the bandits, and there were tall horses left behind.
Lu Beihe dispatched an escort to lead two horses and ride north at full speed.
One was the head escort of Fu’an, the other the young master of Zhenwei.
Young men with high spirits, appreciating each other.
Lu Beihe invited Zhou Yan to meet when he passed through Kaifeng Prefecture on his return journey. Zhou Yan agreed, then took a long arrow, bid farewell to him, and returned to the convoy to reunite with Mei Chaofeng and Huang Rong.
