Chapter 135: A Gentleman Offers Kindness, A Scoundrel Raises His Blade
With the Qingfeng Sword in hand, Zhou Yan examined it.
The sword body shimmered with a pure, untainted azure light, appearing like translucent autumn water. Sunlight fell upon the blade, and the azure light flowed and flickered, making the sword seem alive.
“A good sword.”
He praised it sincerely.
The Divine Condor gifting him a sword was unexpected. In truth, among the treasures of the Sword Tomb, he was only fond of the Profound Iron Sword, but he reckoned that with his current cultivation, wielding it with ease would still be very difficult.
When facing enemies now, he could use spears, swords, or sabers. He was also skilled in unarmed combat and martial arts, not limited by weapons, so he didn’t have an urgent desire for a sharp sword.
Little did he know the Divine Condor would present him with this Qingfeng Sword.
He thought to himself, “Brother Condor is biased,” referring to the scene in the Divine Condor world where the great condor didn’t let Yang Guo take this sword, giving him the Profound Iron Heavy Sword instead. However, it was just a playful remark.
Perhaps the next time the Divine Condor would give him the Profound Iron Heavy Sword. He wouldn’t force destiny.
Zhou Yan did not refuse the condor’s goodwill. “Thank you, Brother Condor, for the sword. I accept it with gratitude.”
The great condor screeched, seemingly pleased.
He stroked the condor’s neck to show his thanks and whistled.
The “Night-Shining Jade Lion” and the Yellow Spotted Horse trotted out from the forest. Zhou Yan removed the saddle, hung the iron box on the Yellow Spotted Horse, and on the other side was a bamboo basket containing an earthen jar filled with snake gallbladders, a large amount of medicinal herbs, and two golden-scaled poisonous snakes.
Zhou Yan would not be dejected by the failure of snake catching and raising. He had learned something, and each skill had its specialty. He hadn’t wasted much medicinal material; Liang Zi Weng’s medicinal formula included methods for nourishing Qi and Blood, and he could consume ginseng, Chinese goldthread, and ganoderma according to the recipe on his northward journey.
The Snake-Raising Secret Manual could not be wasted.
He had captured two large snakes with golden scales from Snake Valley. These snakes were extremely difficult to find. Zhou Yan encountered Gongsun Zhi and Qiu Qianchi and rappelled down to Snake Valley using ropes, where he encountered four large snakes of this type, which were quite intelligent.
He would bring them back to Zhongdu and have the medicine boy, or perhaps a snake slave captured from Ouyang Ke, experiment on them slowly.
His original intention in going to Snake Valley was to catch and raise snakes. Unexpectedly, the experiment failed. However, due to the heavy rain, he practiced the Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms in the torrent and successively comprehended the essence and key principles of ten methods of emitting force.
It could truly be said, “When you try to plant flowers, they don’t bloom; when you carelessly plant willows, they grow into shade.”
However, in comparison, Zhou Yan was even more delighted by his comprehension of the Subduing Dragon Palm technique.
“Brother Condor, we shall meet again.”
“Condor, Shagu is leaving.”
The great condor cried out, bidding them farewell with its calls.
Zhou Yan and Shagu departed from Snake Valley.
…
Traveling northward, the path was smooth. Zhou Yan and Shagu passed through Nanyang and arrived at Kaifeng Prefecture to visit Lu Beihe of the Zhenwei Escort Agency.
They stayed in Kaifeng Prefecture for two days. During this time, they learned from the other party that Huyan Lei, Wang Kui, and Yang Tiexin had visited a month ago, but Zhang Wangyue had not.
Zhou Yan surmised that the Chief Escort was handling affairs in Huzhou, which had delayed his return, and he was still on his way back.
From Lu Beihe, Zhou Yan also learned that the hundreds of bandits who had been entrenched in Xian Mountain in Xinyang and had defected from the Ming Cult had been annihilated. This was naturally the work of Yang Miaozhen and Qiu Qianchi.
Furthermore, the remnants of Great Qi active in the Funiu Mountain and Tongbai Mountain areas were becoming increasingly rampant. Lu Beihe spoke with anger, saying that if it were only three to five hundred people, he would have already gathered the escorts and runners, and joined forces with the martial arts instructors from the Kaifeng Prefecture martial arts schools to clear out the mountain stronghold.
Zhou Yan heard that there were over ten thousand bandits between the two mountains, so he temporarily abandoned the idea of joining forces with Yang Miaozhen to eliminate the remnants of Great Qi, as their strength was insufficient.
The carved carriage that Zhou Yan was using to escort Huang Rong southward was originally at the Zhenwei Escort Agency, but it had been taken away by Huyan Lei and others when they traveled north. Two days later, Zhou Yan bid farewell to the Young Master of the Zhenwei Escort Agency and, with Shagu, traveled swiftly directly to Zhongdu.
…
They left in early spring and arrived in midsummer.
Zhou Yan and Shagu entered the city and arrived at the Fu’an Escort Agency.
“Head Escort Zhou is back.”
The runners on duty at the gatehouse of the escort agency saw Zhou Yan and shouted loudly. Before he even reached the entrance of the escort agency, Huyan Lei, Shi Baichuan, Yang Tiexin, and Mu Nianci rushed out.
“Brother Zhou is back, haha! We’re having a banquet at Songhe Tower tonight to welcome you,” Huyan Lei strode forward.
Liang Xiaowu was not slow either. He led the “Night-Shining Jade Lion” and the Yellow Spotted Horse and said, “Head Escort, I passed the examination and am now an escort.”
“You’ve made something of yourself.”
“It’s all thanks to your guidance, Head Escort. I’ll toast you at the banquet.”
“Good.”
Zhou Yan patted Liang Xiaowu on the shoulder.
Shagu took the iron box and the bamboo basket containing the large snakes down from the horse. Liang Xiaowu led the horses directly to the stable.
Mu Nianci, in her red attire, had also undergone a tempering through the Jingzhou escort. After her night talk with Zhou Yan by the Huai River, she had diligently practiced her spear techniques and the “Free and Easy Journey” fist techniques, and her cultivation had improved significantly. Now, she was not only delicate and beautiful but also heroic and spirited.
She saw Shagu and was slightly taken aback. She immediately stepped forward and said gently, “Head Escort, you’re back?”
“Yes, I almost caught up with you all.”
Huyan Lei also asked at this moment, “Brother Zhou, who is this young lady?”
“I am Shagu.”
“Ah!” Huyan Lei stared at Shagu with his leopard-like eyes. He thought to himself, “Who introduces themselves like this?”
Yang Tiexin, Shi Baichuan, and Mu Nianci were all taken aback.
“This is a long story, and it has something to do with Senior Yang. I’ll explain it slowly. Where is Old Brother Wang?”
“He’s gone on an escort to Guanzhong. He should be back in a few days.”
“Alright, we’ll talk about it at the escort agency.”
“Okay.”
…
Zhongdu in June was enveloped by the scorching summer sun, its bright rays illuminating the square courtyard. A runner entered the meeting hall and brought Zhou Yan a plum juice drink to relieve the heat and quench his thirst.
He held the porcelain bowl, drank the soup with a small spoon, and then concisely recounted that Zhang Wangyue had visited the Dragon Gate Escort Agency, where the Chief Escort had gone to Dali, was then made difficult by the owner of the Dragon Gate Escort Agency, and later went to Huzhou.
Huyan Lei and Shi Baichuan had both witnessed the arrogant behavior of the young escorts from the Dragon Gate Escort Agency during their Jingzhou escort, and they could not help but curse the other party.
Zhou Yan did not mention being besieged and killed on Nanping Mountain. Instead, he turned to Yang Tiexin and said, “I met Taoist Priest Qiu of the Quanzhen Sect at West Lake.”
Yang Tiexin was startled. After reacting, his expression became quite agitated. “Is the Taoist Priest well?”
“He is well. At that time, all seven Taoist priests of the Quanzhen Sect were present. During our conversation, Taoist Priest Qiu spoke of past events, and coincidentally mentioned Niu Family Village and you, Senior, and Righteous Person Guo.”
“And then?” Yang Tiexin asked eagerly.
“Taoist Priest Qiu knows the descendants of Righteous Person Guo. He is currently living in the desert. Taoist Priest Qiu said he would bring Young Hero Guo to Zhongdu during the Mid-Autumn Festival to meet you, Senior.”
Yang Tiexin, within Zhou Yan’s line of sight, paused for a moment. Then, a mist seemed to rise in his eyes.
Mu Nianci let out a soft “Ah.”
Scalding tears slowly flowed from Yang Tiexin’s eyes, and then became uncontrollable. He wiped them with his sleeve, but it was no use; new tears flowed again. The intense emotional fluctuation caused his fingers to twitch.
Yang Tiexin felt as if his heart had split open, gushing hot blood. He wanted to shout a few times, “Sworn Brother, I know the whereabouts of your nephew!” But he felt as if a great stone was pressing on his chest, suffocating him and rendering him speechless. Finally, he reached out his hand, grasping weakly in the air, and then his hand was held by Mu Nianci.
“Father,” Mu Nianci knelt on the ground, busy wiping Yang Tiexin’s tears with a handkerchief.
Huyan Lei was flustered. “Elder Yang, this is good news! Don’t be like this.”
Shi Baichuan quickly said, “Congratulations, Elder Yang.”
It took more than ten breaths before Yang Tiexin finally came back to his senses. He stood up and bowed deeply to Zhou Yan, “Thank you, Head Escort Zhou.”
Zhou Yan quickly helped him up. “Congratulations, Senior.”
“If I hadn’t heard your words, Head Escort, and come to the escort agency, how could I have found the descendant of my sworn brother? Your great kindness is unforgettable.”
“Senior, please don’t say that. We are friends; such words make us strangers.”
“Good, good, I’ll listen to the Head Escort.”
Zhou Yan helped Yang Tiexin to a chair before continuing, “After parting with Taoist Priest Qiu, I went to Niu Family Village for a walk. I met Shagu at the tavern at the village entrance.”
Yang Tiexin suddenly came back to his senses. “Brother Qu San’s tavern?”
Zhou Yan was taken aback.
Yang Tiexin knew Qu Lingfeng; he had forgotten that. However, things seemed to be getting simpler.
…
A hundred miles southwest of Zhongdu, the sound of hooves thundered.
Helian Chuncheng, the Young Master of the Changfeng Escort Agency, rode his horse with high spirits.
His southward journey was not in vain.
He had not only forged a good relationship with the Dragon Gate Escort Agency but also befriended the Little Prince of the Zhao Wang Manor, who greatly appreciated him.
With this connection, what difficulty would there be in escorting throughout the land? Or perhaps he could follow the Little Prince and achieve great deeds.
“I wonder if that dog escort from Fu’an has arrived in Zhongdu yet?” Yin Kexi suddenly said.
Upon hearing Zhou Yan’s name, Helian Chuncheng’s expression instantly turned grim.
On Nanping Mountain by West Lake, several escorts, including Cui Qingshan, were lost.
“I will kill him,” Helian Chuncheng said word by word.
Ni Mo Xing had now been recruited by Yang Kang, but he was returning to Zhongdu with Helian Chuncheng. Hearing the Young Master of Changfeng speak like this, he smiled and said, “I have a plan.”
“Brother Ni Mo, let’s hear it?”
“It’s actually very simple,” Ni Mo Xing lowered his voice, but Helian Chuncheng’s eyes suddenly lit up shortly after.
“Excellent idea, Brother Ni Mo, you are truly talented.”
