Chapter 241: The Final Escort and Nine Yang
The clouds were like white gauze, changing like a dog in the sky.
Zhou Yan quietly listened to the words of Duan Zhaoxi, the current Boss of Fu’an.
“Gold as the main cargo, with thirty boxes of jewelry and rare treasures. The escort fee will be estimated by the escort bureau. The destination is Yumen Pass, to be reached within the month. Chief Escort and Head Escort Zhou have arrived, which is excellent. This escort mission is of great importance. Head Escort Wang and Head Escort Shi have not yet returned, so my idea is for the Chief Escort to personally escort the goods, with Head Escort Zhou and Head Escort Huyan accompanying him.”
After Duan Zhaoxi finished speaking, he sighed, “So Guo Jing is the Khan’s consort, the Golden Saber Consort. Only then did that Mongolian man seek out an escort bureau.”
Huyan Lei, unaware of Guo Jing’s identity, was surprised to hear this and muttered to himself, “No wonder the Guo family brothers were able to persuade the Khan to stop the massacre of civilians that day. I thought he was just a Commander of Ten Thousand. I never expected his status to be so astonishing.”
“Indeed, his status is extraordinary.” Zhou Yan changed the subject and asked Duan Zhaoxi, “Yumen Pass is a barren land.”
The Boss of Fu’an said, “The Mongolian Imperial Envoy is going to Khwarazm. The Khan has ordered the collection of gold and silver, and the envoy’s entourage will receive it there.”
Zhou Yan suddenly understood.
In the world of Legend of the Condor Heroes, Genghis Khan did indeed arrange for an Imperial Envoy to go to Khwarazm, but due to Wanyan Honglie’s obstruction, the envoy was humiliated by the King of Khwarazm, who pulled his beard, and sent back. Afterward, Guo Jing accompanied the Khan on his Western Expedition, but this time it has been brought forward.
Wanyan Honglie will surely make this move again. Is the Khan’s current dispatch of an Imperial Envoy a tactic of distant alliance and close attack based on the current situation, or did Guo Jing, Tolay, and others hear some wind when they visited Lin’an?
As he was meticulously contemplating, Duan Huai’an suddenly said, “Chief Escort, is this arrangement acceptable?”
Zhou Yan looked at Zhang Wangyue. He always felt that after giving him the Nine Yang Manual, the Chief Escort of Fu’an seemed to have undergone some change in his demeanor. Was it like a mountain standing firm? Zhang Wangyue already possessed such a bearing; he had become even more stern.
It was as if a sword honed for ten years was suddenly unsheathed by three inches, exuding a chilling aura.
“Brother Zhou is going to leave Fu’an,” Zhang Wangyue suddenly said.
“Ah!” Duan Zhaoxi was shocked, his gaze flickered, and then he refocused, but without any particular point of focus, appearing vacant.
Huyan Lei knew that Zhou Yan was going to submit his resignation. He remained silent, his eyes showing reluctance.
After a full ten breaths, Duan Zhaoxi gave a wry smile, “When we were in the Western Regions, Head Escort Zhou took the High Monk away. My father entrusted the escort bureau to me, saying that you might leave Fu’an. But if you stayed, Fu’an would open a branch office, and you would manage it.”
The Boss, only a few years older than Zhou Yan, let out a long sigh, his expression bitter, “I never thought that I would just take over the escort bureau, and the Head Escort would be leaving. I was still thinking about how to have a heart-to-heart talk with the Head Escort when he returned, and how to manage our relationship.”
Zhou Yan felt that Duan Zhaoxi had matured a lot. He suddenly remembered what the former Boss, Duan Huai’an, had said: that Duan Zhaoxi disliked the escort bureau business but was kind-hearted. He said apologetically, “Qiu Qianren of the Iron Palm Sect, the Vajra Sect of the Western Regions, Helian Chuncheng, Ouyang Feng of the Western Venom – these are all enemies I have provoked, so I have to leave the escort bureau.”
“I understand.”
“However, if the Boss is willing, I will escort this mission, but I have a request: let the High Monk from India accompany the escort team. He needs to go to India. Also, on the return journey, I will head south from the Yellow River and will not return to Zhongdu,” Zhou Yan said with a smile, “to save my elder brothers from becoming envious.”
Huyan Lei laughed heartily, “Splendid! Brother Zhou’s first escort mission as an escort was to Jingzhou, with the Chief Escort escorting the goods. Now the Chief Escort is escorting the goods again, and Brother Zhou is escorting. It’s a perfect beginning and end. Brother Zhou and I will have a month to spend together, discussing spear techniques and martial dao.”
Duan Zhaoxi stood up and replied gratefully, “This journey to the Western Regions will surely be arduous. Thank you, Head Escort Zhou. The High Monk has a life-saving grace for my father. I will do as you say.”
Zhang Wangyue smiled, “Thank you for accompanying me, Brother Zhou.”
Zhou Yan smiled, “Then shall I and Old Brother Huyan go to the horse market to hire mules and horses together?”
“Agreed!”
“Let’s go, Old Brother Huyan.”
The two of them got up, walked through the courtyard, out of the escort bureau, and headed towards the horse market in the suburbs. Soon after, the news spread that the escort bureau was going on an escort mission to the Western Regions, and all capable escorts were dispatched, including Mu Nianci.
At dusk, Zhou Yan and Huyan Lei first returned to the escort bureau. He led the Night-Shining Jade Lion into the stable. As he was about to leave, Duan Zhaoxi came over with a brocade box and said, “The Head Escort said he won’t be returning to Zhongdu on the way back. This contains some money and silver. Please don’t refuse.”
“Thank you, Boss.” Zhou Yan did not refuse, but as he held it in his hand, it felt heavy and significant.
“Thank you for your hard work, Head Escort.”
“Boss, please don’t be so polite.”
“When you are in the Jianghu, don’t forget Fu’an.”
“I certainly won’t!”
“Head Escort, please rest well. Tomorrow will be another day of hard work.”
“Alright.”
Duan Zhaoxi left. Zhou Yan found the High Monk from India and explained his arrangements to him. The High Monk was naturally delighted and expressed his gratitude repeatedly. Zhou Yan exchanged pleasantries and then bid farewell to the High Monk. He walked through streets and alleys, arrived at a courtyard, climbed over the wall, cleaned the inside and out, fetched water for a bath, and then took out a brush and ink to record the Nine Yang Manual.
After finishing these tasks, he then opened the brocade box given by Duan Zhaoxi, which contained ingots of gold.
He took out a few gold ingots and then stored the brocade box away.
As night fell, birds spread their wings and flew across the night sky. Under the half-moon, the old trees and houses in the courtyard were bathed in a silvery light. Zhou Yan brewed a pot of tea, sat on a stone stool, and thought in a daze.
In the world of Heaven Sword, Zhang Sanfeng, Guo Xiang, and Wuse each memorized a portion of the Nine Yang Manual. Zhang Sanfeng remembered the most, about five or six tenths. He practiced cultivation techniques and created the Wudang Nine Yang Skill. I read one less scroll of the Nine Yang Manual, but I am knowledgeable in Taoist principles. After a long period of living with the High Monk from India, and listening to Buddhist scriptures at the Shaolin Temple, these three scrolls can be used with Jade Guanyin to attempt cultivation, without waiting to gather the fourth scroll. “When misfortune is a blessing in disguise,” perhaps I can also avoid the disaster of losing my cultivation.
His thoughts returned, and he opened the first scroll of the Nine Yang Manual to study it.
……
The crescent moon set over the city walls, and the sound of the drum at the fifth watch echoed through the long street. Zhou Yan closed the third scroll.
After a night of contemplation, he had read three scrolls of the scriptures and understood their general meaning.
The circulation routes involved in the Nine Yang Manual were even more profound and complex than those of the Nine Yin Manual. In addition to the Extraordinary Meridians and Twelve Standard Meridians, it also involved the Secondary Meridians, which are the source of human Yang Qi, the Three Imperial Meridians, and twenty-eight hidden meridians. Upon reaching mastery, the Inner Qi would be condensed, and the True Qi would be yang and fierce. When Yang reached its extreme and transformed, it would nourish the body, opening the Mysterious Pass of the body, where Water and Fire would harmonize, and Dragon and Tiger would meet. Conversely, if cultivated improperly, the Nine Yang True Qi would accumulate more and more, and once triggered, it would lead to the calamity of Yang Fire burning the body. Furthermore, when cultivating the technique, one must maintain the body of a pure Yang Boy before the Nine Yang is achieved and Yang reaches its extreme before Yin is born.
However, Zhou Yan was certain that it could aid his cultivation. The Gentle Qi of Jade Guanyin could dissolve the heat of the Nine Yang Internal Force, and it could also continuously repair the channels and nourish the viscera. He was also well-versed in the Taoist principles of emptiness, purity, and perfection. By cultivating slowly, he might be able to cultivate his own unique Nine Yang Divine Skill.
As a fallback, by cultivating moderately, the body would increase Yang, Yang would generate Qi, Qi would invigorate blood, and blood would create strength. Was this not also a way to improve Internal Force? Moreover, it could also strengthen the kidneys.
As he thought this, he suddenly saw a bright path in the martial dao, one of diligent practice and hard training, surpassing Ouyang Feng of the Western Venom, who could currently cultivate the Nine Yin Manual.
As the night receded like a tide, Zhou Yan sat cross-legged and regulated his breath for an hour. He opened his eyes, feeling refreshed and energetic. He washed up, changed into a set of clothes, carefully stored the Nine Yang Manual, and without taking any weapons, left the courtyard gate and headed straight for the Fu’an Escort Agency.
……
The sunlight was warm, and the air was filled with the fragrance of peach blossoms.
Thirty cargo boxes were parked in the courtyard of the Fu’an Escort Agency.
In the courtyard, there were only the Mongolian man, his attendants, Zhang Wangyue, Zhou Yan, Huyan Lei, and the shopkeeper.
The man’s attendant was reading from an account book.
“A pair of agate cups, a pair of white jade cups, a pair of flawless white jade bowls, a statue of a golden jade Guanyin, a shrine of golden jade, a pair of dragon-patterned tripods, four each of Shang dynasty vessels, Zhou dynasty plates, and Zhou dynasty wine vessels…”
In the morning, the Mongolian man delivered the escort goods, and the two parties reconciled the accounts.
Huyan Lei looked at the artifacts and said in a low voice to Zhou Yan, “If even one or two items are lost, the escort bureau would be ruined even if they sold everything to compensate. If you don’t go on this escort mission, even if it means losing our reputation, I will persuade the Chief Escort to decline this mission.”
Zhou Yan teased, “My legs are trembling right now.”
“Haha… After this escort mission, I have the idea of retiring with Brother Zhou.”
“Then let’s do it together.”
“Brother Zhou, please try to persuade me on the way.”
Under the warm spring sun, Zhou Yan smiled. With such a friend, what more could one ask for?
