Chapter 205: When the Snipe and the Clam Fight, the Fisherman Benefits
Moonlight cast dappled shadows through the sparse leaves as Zhou Yan landed in the courtyard.
He arrived at the escort bureau and had a long chat with Guo Jing. Everyone then went to Songhe Tower for a banquet. As dusk settled, the wine was finished, and the guests dispersed. Guo Jing rode away on his little red horse, and only then did Zhou Yan head to his lodging.
A layer of dust covered the wine jars on the stone table. Zhou Yan guessed that after he had left in a hurry that day, Lu Youjiao had not lingered either, and that the other party had not visited during this period.
He placed the Profound Iron Heavy Spear among the weapons and hung his bow and Qingfeng Sword on the wall. Afterward, he went into the courtyard, swept it inside and out with a broom, bathed, changed clothes, and went to bed.
The words of Ouyang Feng and his nephew were not to be trusted, but it was impossible for them to reach Zhongnan Mountain again in such a short time. Zhou Yan had resolved his immediate worries and slept soundly.
…
With the dawn light faintly breaking, Zhou Yan rose early to cultivate. He left the courtyard, closed the door, and went to the escort bureau. Two days passed in a blur of drinking tea, chatting, and practicing in the martial field. During this time, heroes from all directions, like a hundred rivers converging into the sea, began to enter Zhongdu.
This made Zhou Yan quite expectant. He wondered which heroic figures from the Legend of the Condor Heroes world and other martial arts figures would appear at this Heroes’ Banquet.
Of course, more often than not, Zhou Yan was contemplating how to secretly disrupt this grand event.
Huo Du and Yang Kang were openly and secretly vying for power, which he was happy to see. However, among the attendees of the banquet, there were bound to be many heroes. These hot-blooded men, unable to see the current situation clearly, were like the Seven Immortals of Quanzhen and the Six Heroes of Jiangnan back then. When the Mongolian army marched south, they fought the Jin soldiers for the Han people, maintaining a friendly stance. How could he allow these people to be toyed with by Huo Du, losing their lives for nothing?
Time flew by, and another day passed.
Zhou Yan got up early and went out, eating some buns at a street-side stall to fill his stomach, and then headed to the escort bureau.
“Brother Zhou, we’ve been waiting for you.”
In the escort bureau’s meeting hall, Zhang Wangyue, Huyan Lei, Wang Kui, Shi Baichuan, Yang Tiexin, and others were present.
“My esteemed brothers have waited long.”
“There’s no time to delay, let’s head over there now.”
“Good.”
The men were all dressed in casual clothes. They left the escort bureau and headed straight for the former Jin Dynasty’s West Grand Training Ground in the suburbs.
The weather was fine. In the center of the training ground, a high platform was majestically erected, with chairs and benches arranged to the south of it.
By this time, over a thousand people had gathered below the platform.
A burly man came over to inquire about their sect. Zhou Yan casually made up “Gold Knife Sect” and “Iron Spear Sect.” The burly man cupped his hands and said he had heard of them, then allowed them to enter the grounds.
Huyan Lei and Wang Kui couldn’t help but chuckle.
Looking around, a swarming crowd of people, of all heights and builds, gathered. They moved to the front and took their seats. As soon as Zhou Yan sat down, the surrounding conversations, spoken at the top of their lungs, suddenly reached them.
“The Jin Dynasty has oppressed us for too long. Now that heroes from all over the world have gathered here, with loyalty and righteousness in their hearts, we should take advantage of the Mongolian army’s campaign against Jin to slaughter the Jin dogs. This is truly a joyous occasion.”
Zhou Yan glanced sideways. The speaker was a burly man in his thirties.
Another man said, “As the saying goes, a snake cannot move without its head. We have the will of loyalty and righteousness, but without a leader, great things are difficult to achieve. I think everyone should take this opportunity to elect a respected hero, admired by all, to lead us, and everyone will follow his command.”
The man’s words were met with a round of applause. A white-bearded elder suddenly said, “Let’s wait and see for now. After all, it is the Little Prince of Mongolia who invited and is hosting this grand banquet, not someone as respected as Hong Bangzhu.”
“What about the Little Prince?” the first man said.
“Those who are not of our kind will surely have different intentions.”
“The Mongolian army is helping us fight the Jin dogs, isn’t that obvious?”
The elder did not engage in verbal sparring, but smiled and said, “Let’s wait and see, let’s wait and see!”
The man, puffing with anger, turned away and no longer paid attention to the elder.
Zhou Yan smiled and said softly to Zhang Wangyue, “That old man is a discerning person.”
The Chief Escort of Fu’an nodded.
The hour of Si (9-11 AM) was auspicious. The sound of striking stone chimes rang out from the high platform.
The field quieted down. A young man dressed as a noble young master, wearing a light yellow brocade robe and holding a folding fan, ascended the high platform, followed by a Tibetan monk in a red robe and several men with fierce momentum.
Huyan Lei said to Zhou Yan, “That young man is Huo Du.”
Zhou Yan smiled and nodded. He already knew the name of the young Tibetan monk beside Huo Du: it was Darba.
He straightened his body and looked towards one side of the high platform. A round tent was pitched on the ground, and within it, a Tibetan monk in a red robe, extremely tall and thin, with a figure like a bamboo pole, could be vaguely seen.
That must be the Golden Wheel Law King, Zhou Yan surmised.
On the high platform, Huo Du cupped his hands and said, “I am deeply grateful to the martial arts heroes from the Five Lakes and Four Seas for gracing us with their presence at the Heroes’ Banquet.”
The martial arts heroes, speaking without reservation, immediately someone said, “Little Prince, quickly tell us what this Heroes’ Banquet is about. If it’s about fighting the Jin dogs, we’ll all grab our swords and follow you.”
A roar of laughter erupted, and someone echoed, “Exactly, exactly.”
“Please be patient, we will explain now.” As Huo Du finished speaking, the crowd quieted down. A burly man stepped forward, his voice like a thunderclap, “A martial arts competition. Those who win three consecutive matches can take a seat in the front row of the heroes’ section. Once the seats are full, the competition will end. The winners will accompany the Prince to the banquet and discuss great plans together.”
A buzz of commotion arose. The silver-haired elder beside Zhou Yan stood up and asked, “What if one loses?”
The man on the high platform said, “Win one match, receive five hundred taels of silver; win two matches, receive one thousand; win three matches and enter the banquet, receive five thousand.”
The atmosphere was instantly ignited by the generous rewards, and many eager guests began to flex their muscles, ready to try their luck.
“What is this great plan?” a voice suddenly asked from the crowd. Zhou Yan found it familiar. Following the sound, he saw three young men in white robes seated in front on the right. The voice came from the middle one.
Zhou Yan let out a scoff. Ouyang Ke, here in Zhongdu to disrupt Huo Du’s Heroes’ Banquet.
His guess was entirely correct.
They had fought outside the Ancient Tomb on Zhongnan Mountain, but Zhou Yan had not delivered a fatal blow. Ouyang Ke had profound internal energy and had also received the “Impermanence Pill” from Huang Yaoshi. His internal injuries had long since healed.
Yang Kang had arranged for Xiaoxiangzi to be a mole, an undercover agent. Ouyang Ke’s arrival in Zhongdu was to see if Xiaoxiangzi had gained Huo Du’s favor, and secondly, to disrupt the Heroes’ Banquet. Although he had been in Zhongdu for some time, he rarely showed himself, so few people recognized him. The two young men in white robes beside him were beautiful concubines dressed as men. Sha Tongtian and Helian Chuncheng were also disguised among the crowd.
Ouyang Ke’s question was immediately answered by someone on behalf of Huo Du: “The great plan is naturally how to slaughter the Jin dogs.”
“Is the Little Prince…?” Ouyang Ke tapped his right hand with his left folding fan, looking very dashing.
Before Huo Du could speak, another voice rang out, “Instead of asking questions, why not go on stage and showcase your skills? After winning three matches and attending the banquet, won’t everything be clear?”
It was still a voice that Zhou Yan found incredibly familiar, coming from behind. He turned his head and saw a handsome young man sitting on a chair on the left, looking at him with a half-smile.
With red lips, white teeth, and a face like jade, who else could it be but Huang Rong?
Zhou Yan smiled slightly and turned back. He didn’t need to worry about it himself anymore.
Huang Rong knew that the Mongols intended to massacre the population after conquering Zhongdu. Her purpose in attending the banquet was to expose the brutal actions of the Mongolian army. While her words seemed to be helping Huo Du, she was actually provoking Ouyang Ke to go on stage.
Zhou Yan had no doubt that Huang Rong, at the opportune moment, would expose Huo Du and then reveal Ouyang Ke, killing two birds with one stone. The clever “Rong’er” was most adept at such things.
Huang Rong’s words immediately drew more agreement.
The man on the high platform looked at Huo Du, who nodded. The man took a copper gong and struck it with a clang, saying, “Martial arts competition, which hero will go first?”
“I’ll come to claim a seat at the banquet.” As soon as the words fell, a skinny, bamboo-pole-like figure emerged from the crowd, swayed a few times, and reached the high platform, leaping onto it.
The tall, thin man cupped his hands towards Huo Du, who was sitting on the platform. He then turned around and said sinisterly, “Xiaoxiangzi requests the esteemed heroes’ high-level guidance.”
Zhou Yan scoffed inwardly. Ghosts and demons, big and small, have all arrived.
Zhang Wangyue said, “This person is very clever.”
Zhou Yan smiled and said, “Yes, most people will wait and see the skills of the heroes attending the Heroes’ Banquet before deciding whether to participate.”
“Looking at his agility in leaping onto the high platform, he should have no problem securing a seat.”
Zhou Yan smiled and nodded. The excitement of this Heroes’ Banquet exceeded his expectations.
