Chapter 139: Keeping an Appointment is Harder Than Reaching Heaven, Yang Kang Reveals His Ambition
The rain was dense. Zhou Yan strode into the range of the black-clothed men’s blades, executing “Falling Flowers Kicked by a Horse” from the Quanzhen Swordplay. He thrust his sword forward with his shoulder, the blade pointing upwards. As the sword was thrust out, the raindrops in the air paused for a moment, forming a straight line.
The black-clothed man suddenly saw a raindrop in his vision explode like a bubble.
A constricting sensation in his throat instantly spread throughout his body. The black-clothed man staggered back, clutching his neck, blood spraying from between his fingers.
“Ah!” A black-clothed man attacked with his saber. Zhou Yan moved his arm, using the sharpness of the Qingfeng Sword to cleave the man and his saber in the rain. The broken saber, arm, and blood flew through the air, then were pressed down by the heavy rain.
The young master of the Zhenwei Escort Agency glanced towards Zhou Yan. He saw the sound of swordsmanship intensify, and the sword light flickered and overlapped three times.
Zhou Yan’s figure flashed out of the encirclement of three men, and then those three men fell like wooden stakes.
Brother Zhou’s swordplay has improved again. Lu Beihe praised inwardly, pursuing with his twin spears and knocking a black-clothed big man to the ground.
Huyan Lei, Mu Nianci, and others joined in, giving the Zhenwei side the upper hand. Zhou Yan freed his hands and killed several people in succession, turning the tide of the battle.
Mei Chaofeng’s long whip shattered the heads of two big men. She stopped and withdrew from the fray, walking towards Huang Rong, who was playing with the Night-Shining Jade Lion. She pondered how to bring Zhou Yan to Peach Blossom Island for her Master to deal with.
Iron Corpse Mei Chaofeng had actually helped a lot. Her long whip had initially held back seven or eight experts who were attacking the Zhenwei Escort Team. Her earnest effort was, of course, to repay Fu’an for escorting Huang Rong southward.
However, she had not expected to be helping the Zhenwei Escort Agency.
The more black-clothed swordsmen died, the more men from Fu’an and Zhenwei were freed up to either use hidden weapons or join the encirclement. The remaining black-clothed men were fierce, knowing they could not escape death. They attacked with their sabers, thinking to kill one was enough, and kill two was a profit.
The result was only more hidden weapons and blades.
After the time it took to drink a teacup, the heavy rain could not wash away the blood from the ground, and the fighting stopped.
Lu Beihe let out a long sigh of relief. The escort was safe.
Liang Xiaowu had already called the runners to search the corpses.
After Zhou Yan returned from Lin’an to the Zhongdu Escort Agency, he had taught the “Great Seize and Capture Hand” he obtained from Liang Zi Weng to Liang Xiaowu and the other escorts and runners. He also instructed them that if bandits were to rob the escort in the future, they should not forget to search the corpses afterward.
Silver for silver, cultivation techniques for cultivation techniques.
Cultivation techniques could be practiced by themselves, and the silver could be used to aid injured escorts and runners, or the families of those who died.
Huang Rong’s clothes were soaked. Seeing that the fighting had stopped, she patted the neck of the Night-Shining Jade Lion and said affectionately, “I’ll come to Zhongdu to find you again in a while.”
She then entered the devastated inn with Mei Chaofeng and the medicine boy.
Zhou Yan did not go over to greet them, busy inquiring about casualties.
Lu Beihe walked over, still shaken, and said, “That wicked monk had formidable martial arts.”
Zhou Yan had personally experienced it. During their exchange, the opponent’s left palm pushed with his right palm in a fierce and overbearing move. The internal force surged from his arm’s channels directly into his viscera. If he had not tempered and cleared his Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian and Hand Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian, guiding energy with intent, his inner qi would not have circulated so quickly, forming a defense in an instant, and his injuries would have been more severe.
“Indeed, he was formidable.”
“When I passed through Taiyuan Prefecture before, I hadn’t heard of this group. Logically, with the wicked monk’s martial arts, he should have been famous long ago?”
“No.”
Zhou Yan walked towards the monk’s corpse and squatted down.
Lu Beihe looked at the monk, who was almost cut in half at the waist, and asked in confusion, “Brother Zhou, what are you doing?”
“Perhaps there are some items on him that can prove the wicked monk’s identity?”
“A monastic certificate.” Lu Beihe suddenly realized, “Brother Zhou is indeed meticulous.”
Zhou Yan smiled.
The first thing he found was a money pouch. Zhou Yan tossed it to Lu Beihe, “Compensate the innkeeper. The rest is for the injured escorts and runners.”
“Good idea.”
He continued to search and pulled out a handkerchief from the monk’s embrace.
Lu Beihe also squatted down.
He unfolded the handkerchief, and it was indeed a monastic certificate.
Reading the text, Zhou Yan let out a slight sigh. The monk was named Bao Neng, from the Vajra Sect.
The Vajra Sect from the Western Regions.
Lu Beihe said in surprise, “Vajra Sect? I’ve never heard of it.”
Zhou Yan stood up and said, “I have heard of it. Last year, while escorting through Jingzhou, I met a Hu person at an inn in Fengling Ferry. That Hu person was buying silk and tea from Lin’an Prefecture, but no escort agency would take the job.”
“It has something to do with the Vajra Sect?”
“Yes, the Hu person said that an escort agency from Lin’an heading to the Western Regions was robbed by a group of monks, resulting in heavy casualties.”
“Truly a bunch of demonic monks.”
When Zhou Yan heard about this from the Hu person in Fengling Ferry, he had suspected it was the Vajra Sect founded by Huo Gong Toutuo, and now it was confirmed. Huo Gong Toutuo was a naturally malevolent person, so it was not surprising that his disciples acted lawlessly.
He was only puzzled as to how the Vajra Sect had gathered a group of bandits to Tong Pass and Lüliang.
The corpses were buried in the wilderness, and the heavy rain washed away the blood. Apart from the devastated inn, everything returned to its original state.
…
Two days later, the rain stopped and the sky cleared.
Lu Beihe’s escort team set off for Taiyuan Prefecture.
Another day passed, and the Fu’an escort team crossed the Yellow River, heading straight for Xianyang.
During this time, Huang Rong came to say goodbye to Zhou Yan, saying she was going to Zhenzhou, where the Yellow River Gang’s headquarters was located.
Only then did Zhou Yan learn that the Yellow River Gang’s stronghold was actually in Longmen.
With Mei Chaofeng accompanying Huang Rong, and Sha Tongtian and Hou Tonghai not being at the Yellow River Gang, there was nothing to worry about.
At the wharf in Tong Pass, they parted ways.
…
The escort team crossed the Yellow River and arrived in Xianyang a day later. The internal injuries Zhou Yan suffered from his encounter with Bao Neng of the Vajra Sect had almost healed under the nurturing of Jade Guanyin’s gentle qi. Huyan Lei contacted the merchant, verified the escort goods, and settled seventy percent of the escort fee. Zhou Yan and Huyan Lei then departed with the escorts and runners.
The merchant, who had paid tens of thousands of taels of pure silver, was in a daze for a long time.
The Dongjia of Changfeng had not said it like this.
After Zhou Yan and the others left, the merchant arranged for personnel to ride fast horses directly to Datong Prefecture to inquire.
The Fu’an escort team returned the way they came, traveling swiftly.
Upon reaching Ying County in Shanxi, Zhou Yan gave an instruction to Huyan Lei and headed straight for Datong Prefecture.
…
Under the scorching sun, the journey through the central plains was arduous.
Suddenly, a melodious sound of camel bells was heard. Three snow-white camels walked unhurriedly along the main road from Zhongdu to Datong Prefecture. The person in the center had a high nose and deep-set eyes; it was Ouyang Feng. The riders on either side were Ouyang Ke and Yang Kang.
“Master Ouyang, is it true that the stone box does not contain the Wumu’s Military Writings?”
A voice like broken cymbals rang out, “I chased the old beggar from Lin’an to Zhongdu. When he was cornered, he said it was empty when he opened it.”
“Could it be a trick?” Ouyang Ke.
Ouyang Feng said, “Although the old beggar is my rival, his word is his bond. If he says it’s not there, then it’s not there.”
Ouyang Ke chuckled, “Uncle is right.”
Zhou Yan traveled north from Lin’an to Zhongdu, and Yang Kang set off not long after.
Ouyang Feng pursued Hong Qigong for the Wumu’s Military Writings, while Hong Qigong was concerned about the appointment in Datong Prefecture. The two compared their speed, much like how the Old Urchin chased Qiu Qianren to the Western Regions in the Legend of the Condor Heroes. They had traveled from Lin’an to Zhongdu.
Hong Qigong would not let the Western Venom catch up to him in Datong Prefecture, which is why he said in Zhongdu that the stone box was empty.
The Western Venom believed him and stopped the pursuit.
Peng Lianhu and Liang Zi Weng died at Zhou Yan’s hands. Peng Lianhu had lost an arm, Monk Lingzhi had lost an eye, and Hou Haitong had been living a life worse than death recently.
He recruited Ni Mo Xing and, following his suggestion, went to the Changfeng Escort Agency in Datong Prefecture.
The Changfeng Escort Agency had dealings with both the black and white paths of the Western Regions. Yang Kang wanted to emulate Wanyan Honglie in hiring experts.
