Chapter 45: Encountering the Divine Condor in the Legend of the Condor Heroes
A hundred paces away, Zhou Yan shot an arrow that brought his essence, energy, and spirit to their peak.
The sharp arrowhead shot forward from the grip, and the air in front of Zhou Yan’s sight was pushed into distinct patterns. Then, the long arrow turned into a faint gray trace, tearing through leaves and wind, and shot straight towards the Dragon Gate Escort Agency’s escort flag fluttering in the wind.
Zhou Yan shot a second arrow, then a third.
Three consecutive arrows.
…
At the front of the escort team, the escorts from the Fu’an Escort Agency, having heard the Dragon Gate Escort Agency escorts repeatedly call them “running dogs of the Jin people” and “disgracing the Han people,” finally couldn’t help but curse “cowardly turtles.” The arrogant young head escort of the Dragon Gate Escort Agency suddenly attacked. The opponent had skilled legwork, and his consecutive kicks were like a persistent bone-เจ็บ, kicking down the Fu’an escort and seizing the escort flag, throwing it on the ground. This was the previous cause of the conflict’s outbreak.
The head escort sneered, “Who is the cowardly turtle now? Where is your head escort?”
The sharp whistle of arrows rapidly amplified. Before the Dragon Gate Escort Agency escorts could realize what the scene before their eyes meant, the whistling long arrow fiercely struck the flagpole, emitting a dull thudding sound like a war drum.
With a “crack,” the flagpole snapped in the middle, and half of the large flag fell to the ground.
The young head escort’s complexion changed drastically, and he leaped up to grab the escort flag.
The second whistle of arrows suddenly amplified.
The arrow was faster than the man, and even the control of its force was just right.
With a “bang,” the long arrow landed on the broken flagpole. The Dragon Gate Escort Agency’s large flag was swept backward by the arrow with a swish. The young head escort’s grab missed, and the third arrow followed closely, landing on the flagpole.
The head escort could do nothing more, watching helplessly as the large flag continued to fly backward for ten feet, falling to the ground like a curtain.
People have faces, and trees have bark; the reputation of an escort agency is its escort flag.
The escorts and runners from the Dragon Gate Escort Agency all drew their weapons in unison.
How could the Fu’an side show weakness? In groups of three or four, some grabbed fishing nets, some took out hidden weapons, and some brandished their weapons, instantly creating a tense atmosphere.
“Stop!” Zhang Wangyue’s angry voice surged forward like waves. The young head escort, holding a bright silver spear, felt a jolt in his heart. Initially, relying on the Dragon Gate Escort Agency’s prestigious name and his own considerable skill, he hadn’t taken the Fu’an Escort Agency people seriously. He didn’t expect to suffer a loss and that this Fu’an head escort named Zhang, with a weather-beaten face, looking as if he had lost his wife and children, possessed such profound internal force.
The head escort of the Dragon Gate Escort Agency held his bright silver spear, its tip touching the ground, the shaft emitting a low “hum.” However, he did not give the order to attack, his ferocious gaze fixed on Zhang Wangyue, Zhou Yan, Huyan Lei, and others.
When his gaze fell on Zhou Yan, who was holding a bow and arrows, he asked sternly, “Was it you who shot my Dragon Gate Escort Agency’s escort flag?”
“Yes.”
“You’re seeking death!”
With a roar, the head escort’s great spear sprang up with a hum, thrusting towards Zhou Yan’s chest.
“Brother Zhou, be careful.”
“How shameless.”
“Enough.”
Even a clay Buddha has three parts of anger, let alone someone like Zhang Wangyue, who, despite appearing loyal and kind, was actually extremely decisive in his actions. He came from the Dragon Gate Escort Agency and had a special status, which was why he initially chose to negotiate peacefully. He didn’t expect the other party to speak disrespectfully, and even seize Fu’an’s escort flag. If not for Zhou Yan’s quick reaction in shooting down the opponent’s escort flag, Fu’an’s reputation would have been ruined in his hands.
But some people are just like that, again and again, unappreciative.
Do I have no temper?
Zhang Wangyue charged forward.
“Chii…”
His quick boots scraped against the ground, emitting a piercing sound that tore at the eardrums. Zhang Wangyue’s figure, like an arrow shot by Zhou Yan, rushed towards the young head escort of the Dragon Gate Escort Agency.
The head escort’s complexion changed drastically. He drew his spear, twisted his waist, and thrust it with all his might at Zhang Wangyue.
Zhang Wangyue was a master of the spear and also came from the Dragon Gate Escort Agency. He closed in, reached out to seize the spear, and the opponent countered. Zhang Wangyue pushed with both hands, his internal energy radiating outward. The escort staggered backward step by step, crashing into the Dragon Gate Escort Agency’s formation.
Zhou Yan took several strides and reached the side close to the Dragon Gate Escort Agency. He picked up Fu’an’s escort flag from the ground, walked over to their formation, and handed the escort flag to the pale-faced runner.
Zhou Yan had carried an escort flag before and naturally knew the weight of this one, embroidered with the characters “Duan” and “Fu’an.”
“Hold it tight. Next time something like this happens, remember to throw lime.”
The runner’s eyes reddened, and he said in a low voice, “Thank you, Escort Zhou.”
He patted the other person’s shoulder and walked over to Zhang Wangyue.
The Fu’an head escort said, “Let today’s matter be settled. If the Dragon Gate Escort Agency believes they are in the right, they can come to Zhongdu to seek an explanation from my boss. This place is far from Guanzhong, and you still have to pass through Jin territory. Does the head escort want to exhaust all the escorts and runners in a dispute with Fu’an? You all saw earlier that there were experts fighting in the canyon. It’s not a place to linger. Let’s give each other convenience and pass through the canyon quickly, how about it?”
Zhang Wangyue showed his might and reasoned with them. The head escort of the Dragon Gate Escort Agency knew he was no match. He harbored resentment but said, “The escorted goods are paramount. Today, we will let Fu’an pass. My boss and chief escort will definitely come to Zhongdu to seek an explanation another day.”
“I await the arrival of Chief Steward Zhang and Chief Escort Jiang.”
The young head escort glared at Zhou Yan and waved his right hand.
Some of the veteran escorts from the Dragon Gate Escort Agency let out a slight sigh of relief. When two tigers fight, there must be a casualty; this was the best outcome.
The Fu’an side waited until the Dragon Gate Escort Agency’s team had completely exited the canyon before raising their escort flag and proceeding.
In just the time it takes for one stick of incense to burn, the escort team exited the canyon. The escorts from the Dragon Gate Escort Agency, seeing Fu’an’s hundreds of fine horses, marveled inwardly. It was the first time they had seen an escort agency escorting a horse team.
The young head escort secretly cursed the people of the Fu’an Escort Agency as a bunch of horse dealers.
The Fu’an escort team continued to move forward. Zhang Wangyue summoned Zhou Yan, Huyan Lei, Shi Baichuan, and Wang Kui, saying, “The escort team will camp ahead. You four are to find True Person Sun of the Quanzhen Sect. Regardless of whether you find him or not, you must return before nightfall.”
“Alright!”
Zhou Yan and the other three packed their equipment, each carrying multiple signal flame tubes, and galloped towards the canyon. Once they reached the mountain canyon from a gentler terrain, as far as the eye could see, one peak connected to another, like a crouching tiger and a coiled dragon, with no end in sight.
Zhou Yan, worried about Sun Buer, said, “Brothers, let’s split up and search. If there’s any situation, contact each other via flame signal.”
“Agreed!”
With the canyon behind them, the four spread out like a fan and galloped away.
The “Night-Shining Jade Lion” was fast, covering dozens of miles in less than half an hour. Seeing the mountain terrain on the left becoming increasingly treacherous, he mused that Sun Buer’s martial arts were no match for that woman in green. Therefore, no matter what, she wouldn’t be able to outrun him in a relatively open area by sprinting for dozens of miles. If she were in this direction, her chances of escaping by relying on the terrain in the mountains would be higher. After all, she was someone who cultivated on Zhongnan Mountain and was familiar with the forest environment.
Thinking this, he turned his horse around, intending to go back.
Suddenly, forest birds in the valley ahead took flight, and unknown birds flapped their wings and soared into the sky.
“Something’s happening!”
Zhou Yan pulled on the reins, and the Night-Shining Jade Lion galloped forward like lightning.
The valley was initially wide, but the further inward he went, the more thorny and difficult it became to proceed. He dismounted and moved on foot towards the area where the forest birds had taken flight.
After advancing about half a mile, the neighing of the “Night-Shining Jade Lion” suddenly came from behind him.
Zhou Yan was greatly alarmed. He turned back to look and saw a great eagle appear within his line of sight. The eagle was enormous, extremely ugly, with sparse feathers all over its body, a curved beak, and a large blood-red flesh tumor on its head.
The Night-Shining Jade Lion and the Ugly Eagle with the red tumor began to fight.
