Chapter 243: Sea Eastern Green, Iron Hawks
Zhou Yan’s figure was as fast as an arrow shot out in anger. The dust on the dirt floor of the restaurant exploded in circles under his feet, like blooming gray lotuses, extending in a blink to the side of the square table that the big man had smashed. He also leaped up at the same time, using his hands and feet, his fist aimed at the throat, his foot kicking the chest, attacking the Tou Tuo.
What Zhou Yan used were the techniques he learned from Shi Bowei of Ten Thousand Beasts Manor during the Heroes’ Banquet in Zhongdu.
The opponent’s martial arts originated from observing wild beasts in the mountains and forests, and incorporated wrestling movements, making it very suitable for close-quarters combat.
When the same cultivation technique was used by Zhou Yan, it possessed a power that made Shi Bowei sigh in admiration.
The sudden change, the big man being smashed onto the table, the wooden table shattering, and Zhou Yan rushing forward to attack, all happened in the blink of an eye. The Tou Tuo didn’t have time to grab his copper rod, and with his right hand, he used “Invincible Might” to protect his throat. Zhou Yan’s feet then slammed into his chest. The Tou Tuo spat blood, let out a scream, and flew out, landing on the ground and rolling continuously.
“It’s you!”
Bao Yin recognized Zhou Yan and roared, his arms and palms crackling. He used the Great Strength Vajra Finger to attack Zhou Yan.
The monk was merely the weakest disciple of Huo Gong Toutuo. While he was superior to Huang Rong, he was far inferior to Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan shook his arms and used “Iron Claw” to fiercely grapple towards Bao Yin. The two exchanged blows seven or eight times, and then Zhou Yan’s right hand suddenly circled up and hooked down in front of Bao Yin’s eyes, twisting left and right. Suddenly, his left hand shot out, and with a *pu* sound, five fingers plunged directly into Bao Yin’s forehead.
His left hand held the monk’s head, pushing him forward. A man from the Western Regions martial world drew his saber and attacked around Bao Yin’s corpse. Zhou Yan drew his sword with his right hand. Inside the restaurant, a sword light slashed out like thunder. The man didn’t have time to react, and his entire arm flew through the air, covered in blood.
“Ah!” The screaming man was then smashed to the ground by Bao Yin’s corpse.
In just a moment, Zhou Yan had killed two people, including Bao Yin, and severely wounded two others.
Like birds scattering when the tree falls, the remaining five men from the Western Regions martial world saw Bao Yin killed and the Tou Tuo severely injured. They dared not fight and fled for their lives.
The sound of stones whistling through the air followed. The three big men who had turned their backs to Zhou Yan were hit in the back of the head by the stones, stumbled a few steps, and fell to the ground.
Zhou Yan used Tomb Lightness Skill, his figure darting here and there. With a sword to the left and a sword to the right, he killed the Tou Tuo and the severely injured big men, then calmly walked out of the restaurant.
Huang Rong had already intercepted the two who had escaped.
She fought with the man in front of her, her fist meeting his. The man staggered, then lunged forward to attack again. Huang Rong leaped into the air, stepping on his fist with her right foot and his head with her left foot.
The man’s knees buckled, and he knelt to the ground with a *plop*. Huang Rong moved towards the second man, sidestepping a fierce saber slash and swinging her right fist towards the man’s waist and ribs.
A sound like a drum echoed, “Bang!” After breaking one of the man’s ribs, Huang Rong suddenly ducked, avoiding the man’s backhand horizontal slash, and powerfully punched his thigh.
This punch was swift and elusive. The man staggered back, and Huang Rong followed like a shadow. Her fist techniques were like a storm, raining down blows. The man was first hit in the shoulder socket, his saber falling to the ground. He then received several more punches based on instinct, his moves becoming chaotic. In an instant, Huang Rong struck his face. In Zhou Yan’s sight, the man’s cheek deformed, teeth mixed with blood sprayed out, and he fell to the ground like a wooden stake.
“Good fist techniques,” Zhou Yan said, having never seen Huang Rong use this set of fist techniques before. He praised her and stepped forward, killing the man with a sword.
“It’s Little Vajra Fist, tricked from Huo Gong Toutuo. I originally wanted to trick him out of Great Strength Vajra Finger, but the Tou Tuo was cunning,” Huang Rong said with a charming smile, a hint of pride in her expression. Zhou Yan chuckled, leaped to the side of the Night-Shining Jade Lion, and picked up the Ox Horn Giant Bow.
The man who had knelt after being kicked twice by Huang Rong had already gotten up, leaped onto a fine horse, and galloped more than ten paces. Zhou Yan drew his bow and nocked an arrow. With a heart-pounding *bang*, the arrow shot out like a meteor, piercing the man’s back.
Huang Rong said joyfully, “I was struggling with how to get away, and I didn’t expect to encounter the escort team. Escort Liang is truly clever.”
Zhou Yan squatted down to search the corpse, took the money pouch from it, and turned back towards the restaurant, saying, “How did you end up with Huo Gong Toutuo at Shaoshi Mountain? When the Tou Tuo left, I didn’t see you and assumed you had left with Island Lord Huang.”
Zhou Yan continued to search the bodies, looking for money and cultivation techniques. Huang Rong, who had followed him, said, “Father and Hong Qigong agreed to meet at Shaoshi Mountain. We encountered Ouyang Feng and his nephew on the way. I detested that rake, so I hurried to Shaoshi Mountain first. Unexpectedly, I met Huo Gong Toutuo at the foot of Songshan. He wanted to take me as a disciple, so I tricked him out of ‘Little Vajra Fist’ and a box of ‘Black Jade Continuing Bone Paste’. After the Shaolin Temple matters were settled, I thought of going to Zhongdu.”
“And then I met these people,” Zhou Yan asked.
“Very clever,” Huang Rong laughed. “I underestimated Huo Gong Toutuo a bit. He actually arranged for Bao Yin to wait with these people at the foot of the mountain. We ran into each other. My martial arts are inferior to Bao Yin and the Tou Tuo. Fortunately, I met you.”
Zhou Yan searched each body. There were nine money pouches, totaling over a thousand taels of silver. From the Tou Tuo, he found a booklet of rod techniques. He threw two money pouches to the shopkeeper and said, “This is compensation. Please handle the bodies, and if it’s convenient, find a new place to open your shop.”
“Thank you, Young Hero,” the shopkeeper said, overjoyed.
The few diners inside the restaurant, fearing trouble, had long since vanished. The shopkeeper had no qualms about burying the bodies.
The sabers worn by the killed Western Regions martial artists were all Snowflake Bincheng steel sabers, of excellent quality, superior to ordinary steel sabers. Zhou Yan picked them up one by one, and also took the Star Anise copper rod that the Tou Tuo had dropped. He weighed it in his hand; it was over thirty catties, not as heavy as the Profound Iron Heavy Spear, but it was still a very handy heavy weapon, which he could give to Zhang Wangyue.
The Head Escort was proficient in all eighteen martial arts, but he used a heavy sword to conceal his identity. In reality, his most comfortable weapons were spears and rods. During the Lantern Festival battle two years ago, he wielded a bamboo rod and unleashed a set of “Five Brothers Bagua Rod,” his rod techniques fierce and unstoppable.
Zhou Yan took all the weapons out of the restaurant and hung them on Bao Yin and the others’ horses. He said to Huang Rong, who had followed him out, “You go back to Zhongdu by yourself.”
Huang Rong asked, “Where are you escorting the goods to?”
“Yumen Pass.”
Her eyes sparkled with delight. “Desert solitude smoke straight, long river sunset round. I’ve never been to the desert. I’ll go with you.”
“I’m escorting goods. You are neither a client nor a personal escort.”
“I’m your friend.”
“That won’t do either.”
Huang Rong leaped onto the horse carriage and drove it herself. “Head Escort Zhou, I’m going to Yumen Pass. I’ll see you on the way.”
“Giddy up!” Huang Rong was quite pleased with herself, thinking, the more you forbid me to go, the more I will follow. What can you do about it? As the carriage galloped, Huang Rong suddenly said, “Shi Bowei is in Liangzhou. I’ll also go to Ten Thousand Beasts Manor to see the tigers and leopards.”
Zhou Yan smiled and shook his head, leaped onto the Night-Shining Jade Lion, and urged his fine horse to chase after the escort team.
…
Zhang Wangyue had the escort team slow down. In just half an hour, Zhou Yan caught up with the team. Huang Rong was already riding alongside Zhang Wangyue, Huyan Lei, and the Tianzhu Monk.
As Zhou Yan approached, he heard their conversation. “Golden Doll is a golden salamander. I have several pairs at home. If Master needs any in the future, just ask Head Escort Zhou to find me.”
“Amitabha, Amitabha, thank you, Young Master.”
“Master, please don’t be polite.”
Zhou Yan chuckled. The Chief Escort intended for Huang Rong to travel with the escort team.
The sound of jingling came. Zhang Wangyue and the others looked over. Zhou Yan was riding his fine horse, with weapons hanging from two horses.
Huyan Lei laughed and said to Zhang Wangyue, “Searching corpses for silver and picking up cultivation techniques, it was Brother Zhou who started it. Now the runners are more skilled than ever.”
Huang Rong recalled the scene in Western Hunan’s Hundred Herbs Valley when Liang Xiaowu and others found Five Venoms Sect cultivation techniques by searching corpses. She let out a light laugh.
“They were from the Vajra Sect. They’ve all been dealt with.” Zhou Yan, who had overheard their conversation, rode closer, picked up the Star Anise copper rod, and said to Zhang Wangyue, “This rod is more comfortable to use than a heavy sword. Chief Escort, you might as well take it.”
Zhang Wangyue took the rod, weighed it, and looked at the coiled dragon carved on the rod. “It is indeed a good weapon. Thank you, Brother Zhou.”
“There’s also a cultivation technique.”
Zhou Yan handed the booklet he had found on the Tou Tuo to Zhang Wangyue. The Fu’an Chief Escort flipped through a few pages and said, “It’s ‘Mad Demon Rod’. This rod technique originated in the Sui Dynasty. The ‘Flock of Sheep Rod,’ ‘Eyebrow Rod,’ and ‘Wukong Rod’ that are circulated among the people all stem from this technique. That Tou Tuo made a move at Shaoshi Mountain, and his martial arts were not weak.”
Zhou Yan said, “Indeed. However, his fist and foot techniques were lacking, and I caught him off guard. He didn’t have time to use his rod techniques before being severely injured.”
“So that’s how it was,” Zhang Wangyue changed the subject. “Miss Huang said she wanted to go to Yumen and Liangzhou, so I let her join the team. She can be with the High Monk.”
“The Head Escort decides.”
Huang Rong pouted, her mouth full of smiles.
Zhou Yan called Liang Xiaowu over and gave him a Snowflake Bincheng steel saber. The young escort was overjoyed. He then distributed the remaining sabers to the escorts in the escort bureau who used sabers.
Huang Rong’s addition greatly enriched the meals of Zhou Yan, Zhang Wangyue, the Tianzhu Monk, and others. She could always prepare rich and delicious meals with the simplest ingredients.
After sunset, the escort team, having eaten, continued to move forward. After midnight, they suddenly changed course and headed directly north, straight towards the Mongolian territory.
…
Time flew by, days turned into nights. Eight days later, the escort team arrived at Jiuyuan, the hometown of Lu Bu, in Yunnei Prefecture, and continued upstream. The land became increasingly barren, and in sight were unchanging, stern, iron-gray mountain ranges. Gobi deserts gradually increased.
The Fu’an escort team began preparations for crossing the Gobi Desert.
In March, the temperature gradually rose at noon. In the direction of Xingzhou in the Western Xia Kingdom, a cavalry force of about five hundred men stirred the air, galloping like lightning towards the Liangzhou line, and continuously dispatched scouts and released Sea Eastern Greens.
The cavalry, named “Iron Hawks,” was directly targeting the Fu’an escort team.
