The Legend of Song Jiang in Water Margin

Chapter 106 Heroes of Hejian Prefecture Rise to Battle in the Dense Forest

"This?" Guan Sheng was also a little conflicted! After all, Liang Zhongshu's proposal was indeed very tempting. The position of Commander-in-Chief of the Military Forces of Daming Prefecture was really not small. Moreover, Daming Prefecture had a special geographical location and often fought against foreign enemies. This was also the thing that Guan Sheng had longed for most in his life!

As a direct descendant of Guan Yu, protecting my home and country and realizing my own value has always been my lifelong wish!

However, Liang Zhongshu was, after all, Cai Jing's son-in-law, and hatred extended to Cai Jing's son-in-law. As bad as Cai Jing's reputation, so did Liang Zhongshu's!

This is also the point that Guan Sheng has been struggling with!

Tang Bin also knew that the opportunity was rare. The Song Dynasty's lack of attention to military men caused many patriotic and valiant men to be frustrated and unfulfilled. The most typical example was Zhou Tong, the Golden Knife Iron Arm!

Tang Bin naturally knew Guan Sheng's abilities and that Guan Sheng's lifelong ambition was to emulate Guan Yu. Thinking of this, Tang Bin said, "Brother, if you truly wish, please take me and Brother Hao Siwen with you. With us here, many things will be much easier for you!"

Tang Bin naturally knew Guan Sheng's abilities and that Guan Sheng's lifelong ambition was to emulate Guan Yu. Thinking of this, Tang Bin said, "Brother, if you truly wish, please take me and Brother Hao Siwen with you. With us here, many things will be much easier for you!"

In a secluded corner of a dense forest thirty miles from Guantang Post Station, Bai Sheng sat on the ground leaning against a tree, enjoying the cool shade. The weather was indeed extremely hot.

How so: Zhurong, the god of fire, comes from the south, whipping his fiery dragon; the fiery banners blaze red across the sky. The sun, at midday, seems to freeze, and all nations are engulfed in a blazing furnace. The verdant peaks of the Five Sacred Mountains are shrouded in clouds, and the waves of the sea at Yanghou's lament have dried up. When will a golden wind rise one night, sweeping away the heat from the world?

Next to Bai Sheng were two large buckets, each weighing about thirty pounds, which had exhausted him. On top of the buckets was a straw hat, which served as a signal.

After resting enough, Bai Sheng shook his head, calculated the time, stood up, picked up the bucket, and walked in the direction he had planned to go.

At this moment, Shi Qian jumped out, startling Bai Sheng so much that the bucket on his shoulder almost slipped and fell to the ground!

Bai Sheng breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Shi Qian, his tense heart calming down. He asked, "What happened? You startled me by suddenly appearing out like that!"

Shi Qian said with a serious expression, "The plan has changed; we can't drug the drink anymore!"

Bai Sheng nodded, picked up the bamboo hat, and put it on his head!

Shi Qian walked up to Bai Sheng and whispered in his ear, "There are thieves lying in ambush ahead. They look like the ones who want to steal the birthday gifts!"

Bai Sheng picked up the carrying pole and walked forward, while Shi Qian slowly disappeared into the dense forest!

Li Cheng, Wen Da, and Zhou Jin traveled day and night with dozens of soldiers and finally arrived at Guantang Post Station in Henan. It was not too far from Bianliang. The weather was hot, and the soldiers were carrying heavy loads on their shoulders. They were exhausted, had run out of water, and were hot, thirsty, and utterly worn out!

Li Cheng glanced at the dense forest; it was quite cool. He then calculated the time—it was already noon, the hottest time of day. Not one to be heartless, Li Cheng turned back and said, "Let's rest here for half an hour before continuing our journey!"

The soldiers breathed a sigh of relief, put down their loads, took off their clothes, and sat on the ground to cool off in the shade of the trees!

Wen Da had no choice but to accept that the soldiers had worked hard, getting up early and going to bed late along the way to make the journey faster. However, he did not mistreat them. Wherever they stayed, they were provided with good wine and meat, just to ensure that the soldiers would not complain and would obey his orders.

The soldiers knew what was right and wrong, and given the seriousness of the matter, any mistake would be punished. So they dared not slack off, and although it was hard work, no one tried to cheat or shirk their duties!

Wen Da found a place to sit down, but he seemed to hear someone whispering in the dense forest. He knew something was wrong, so he picked up his broadsword and rushed towards the direction of the sound!

When Wen Da arrived at the source of the sound in the dense forest, he found more than twenty people sitting on the ground enjoying the cool air. There was a box next to them, and each person had a steel knife next to them!

At this moment, an old man looked at Wen Da and shouted, "Who's there!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than he raised a gun and instantly charged at Wen Da!

Wen Da never expected the old man to attack so suddenly and with lightning speed. Just as the gun was about to pierce his throat, he quickly rolled over and dodged the deadly shot!

When Wen Da saw that the old man was about to use a deadly move to take his life, he was furious and picked up his broadsword to slash at the old man!

To his surprise, the old man turned the gun around and aimed it at him again. Wen Da sighed inwardly, "What a fast gun!" He hurriedly picked up his broadsword to parry!

The old man's marksmanship was fierce, and he gained the upper hand. With his spear in hand, he moved like a snake spitting its tongue, his movements swift and decisive, leaving Wen Da with no chance to defend himself!

Wen Da managed to hold out for twenty rounds. Seeing that Wen Da hadn't returned for a long time, Li Cheng rushed over upon hearing the commotion. Seeing the scene, he hurriedly called out, "Senior, please stop! Let me have a word with you!"

The old man sheathed his gun, and Wen Da, panting, also sheathed his broadsword, praising, "Senior, your skill is truly superb!"

The old man spoke up, "Who are you, and what are you doing here? Are you thieves trying to take advantage of us?"

Upon hearing this, Li Cheng quickly asked, "Who are you, and why are you here?"

The old man laughed and said, "You don't need to know who we are, and I don't need to know who you are. If you are thieves, I, with my gun, will not spare your lives. If you are not, we will never meet again after this. So why should we know who we are?"

The old man's arrogant words made Wen Da and Li Cheng very uncomfortable. They held high positions in Daming Prefecture, and when had anyone ever dared to be so presumptuous!

I almost lost my temper after being scolded by this old man today.

However, neither of them were narrow-minded, and they smiled.

Li Cheng took out an official document from his pocket. The old man took it, glanced at it, and returned it to Li Cheng, laughing, "So you're a military officer. I was being presumptuous!"

Li Cheng bowed and said, "May I ask your esteemed name, senior?"

The old man returned the greeting and said, "My name is Yan Luo!"

Wen Da and Li Cheng exchanged glances. They had never heard of this name before, but the old man was highly skilled in martial arts, unlike the methods of bandits. In addition, the group of people they had just seen fought remained calm and composed, and instead quietly formed a defensive formation. They were clearly well-trained people, incomparable to the undisciplined and disorganized mountain bandits!

Wen Da had no idea where these people came from, but they were truly extraordinary. In particular, he had secretly compared the old man's spear technique with Yang Zhi's and found that the old man's spear technique was actually no less than Yang Zhi's. It was clearly the work of a master, but Wen Da had never seen it before and had no idea where it came from!

Wen Da also bowed and said, "Old Master Yan, what are you doing here?"

Yan Luo laughed and said, "I'm just a bodyguard, responsible for escorting goods!" His tone was much more polite now!

"A bodyguard?" The two men were somewhat doubtful; to be honest, they didn't believe it. Just then, a scholar-looking man spoke up, "Old man, let's continue on our way!"

Li Cheng said, "Wait a minute?"

The scholar and Yan Luo turned around and asked, "What is it?"

Li Cheng said, "May I take a look at the commissioned letter and goods?"

Li Cheng's request was rather excessive. Although his attitude was kind, his tone left no room for argument.

Yan Luo glanced at the scholar but didn't say anything, clearly indicating that the scholar was the owner of the goods this time!

The scholar smiled and said, "If Your Excellency wishes to see them, of course you may." He then produced the list and the letter.

Li Cheng took the letter and read it, then gestured for Wen Da to check the goods. A bodyguard opened the box, revealing necklaces, gemstones, rings, and other valuable items! Wen Da closed the lid, looked at Li Cheng, who had no problem reading the letter, and returned it to the scholar.

The scholar took the letter, had the box resealed, and proposed to continue his journey!

Wen Da spoke again, "Wait!"

The scholar was a little impatient, but dared not show it, and could only say, "What is it, sir?"

Wen Da laughed and said, "This senior's martial arts are superb; why don't we set off together?"

The scholar quickly interjected, "Sir, this senior is my bodyguard. Why are you making things difficult for me?"

Li Cheng understood Wen Da's meaning and laughed, "With us protecting your goods, what thieves would dare to try and steal them?"

Yan Luo didn't seem to care, saying, "If the employer has no objection, we don't mind either, but we won't protect people for nothing."

Li Cheng chuckled inwardly at the old man's greed, but the more greedy the better. So he said, "I see your destination is also Bianliang. How about I give you two hundred taels of silver, so we can keep each other company on the journey!"

Yan Luo glanced at the scholar, who nodded helplessly. Yan Luo then looked at Li Cheng and said, "Alright!"

Wen Da and Li Cheng exchanged a glance, both seeing the joy in each other's eyes!

After Wen Da confirmed that the group was not thieves, he thought that the old man was skilled in martial arts and the escort agency was well-trained. If they were to help him, the journey would be much safer, and if anything happened, they could be sent first. Wouldn't that be even better?

Li Cheng understood the meaning of "wenda" (闻达), which is why he said that!

Wen Da took out one hundred taels of silver and handed it to the old man, saying, "This is half the money; the rest will be given to you, senior, when we reach Bianliang!"

Yan Luo took the money, said nothing, and simply nodded.

The two of them didn't even glance at the scholar the whole time, treating him like he wasn't there, which made the scholar's face turn pale with anger, but he didn't dare to say anything more!

Li Cheng went to call the people escorting the birthday gifts over. Wen Da looked at the scholar with a smug expression and sat down on the ground.

A rather burly-looking man walked out of the crowd and approached the scholar. The two whispered something to each other. Wen Da smiled but didn't say anything.

Soon, the escort team, Li Cheng, Zhou Jin, and two old supervisors came over, and the atmosphere became a little strange!

Just then, a man wearing a straw hat and carrying a pair of buckets appeared in the distance, singing as he walked: "The scorching sun burns like fire, the rice in the fields is half withered and scorched. The farmer's heart is boiling like soup, while the young masters and princes wave their fans."

The man sang as he walked over, put down his buckets in the dense forest, and sat down to cool off.

The soldiers saw this and asked the man, "What's in your bucket?"

The man replied, "It's baijiu (Chinese liquor)."

The soldiers asked, "Where are we taking them?"

The man said, "I'll pick them out and sell them in the village."

The soldiers asked, "How much is a barrel?"

The man said, "Twenty strings of cash."

Before the soldiers could speak, Zhou Jin scolded, "You thieving, shifty-eyed fellow, you're quite the money-grubber! What kind of lousy wine do you dare sell for twenty strings of cash!"

The man sneered and said, "My wine is no ordinary wine; it's top-quality. Twenty strings of cash is an underprice! Someone like you who doesn't know anything about wine, even if you wanted to buy it, I wouldn't sell it to you!"

After saying that, he picked up the carrying pole and continued walking forward!

Zhou Jin was furious and stepped forward, shouting and cursing incessantly! The man was not to be outdone and cursed back!

The soldiers were hot and thirsty, and had no time to watch them put on this farce. They all stepped forward to dissuade them!

Li Cheng and Wen Da also heard the commotion and went over to see what was going on!

The soldiers recounted what had just happened. Li Cheng felt a little disdainful. This Zhou Jin, he had even spoken well of him in front of Liang Zhongshu, and now he was arguing with a wine seller!

With such a narrow mind, he couldn't be bothered with such matters; let Zhou Jin stir things up!

At this moment, the scholar and another person also came over.

The scholar asked, "Sir, do you sell wine?"

The man laughed and said, "It's a bit expensive, twenty strings of cash a barrel, not a penny less!"

The scholar nodded, mingled with the man, took out twenty strings of cash and gave it to him, then carried a bucket of wine back and called the people from the escort agency to come and drink with him!

Li Cheng's heart skipped a beat, but he remained silent. He felt as if many things had been connected perfectly, and he felt a strange sensation, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Once the bottle cap was opened, the aroma of the wine, no longer restrained, wafted around.

Wen Da was surprised. This wine smelled amazing. He had never smelled such fragrant wine in Daming Prefecture. If this wine was really good, twenty strings of cash was not expensive!

The people from the escort agency were also a bit tired, so they grabbed a ladle and started scooping up the wine to drink. Everyone ate with relish, and in no time they finished the whole barrel of wine!

The soldiers escorting the birthday gifts were itching to drink as well, but since Li Cheng hadn't offered, they were too embarrassed to buy any. So they turned their attention to Li Cheng!

Actually, Li Cheng was afraid that there was sleeping potion in the wine. After all, the matter was of great importance and there could be no mistakes. At this moment, the scholar and a big man came over again. The big man gave twenty strings of cash to the wine seller, and then opened the wine bottle and started eating!

The soldiers, seeing that everyone had finished eating, realized this wouldn't do and quickly said, "Commander Li!"

Seeing that the burly man had finished the other barrel of wine, Li Cheng figured he wasn't drugged, so he said, "Brother, consider this wine ours! My men are all starving and thirsty, so please be gentle!"

The big man smiled and didn't scoop any more wine. Li Cheng had the soldiers pool together twenty strings of cash and give them to the big man, letting them distribute the wine themselves!

The man selling the wine didn't leave; he waited until they finished drinking so he could pick up his bucket and leave. Wen Da stepped forward and said, "Brother, would you be interested in brewing wine with me?"

The man shook his head and said, "I don't know how to brew wine. This was all brewed by an old man in our village!"

Wen Da thought it was a pity, but now was not the time to dwell on it. He would go find the old man after returning from Bianliang.

At this moment, the man spoke again: "At first, seeing that there were many of you, I thought we had run into thieves!"

The scholar and Yan Luo exchanged a glance, but neither spoke, their expressions turning serious!