The Legend of Song Jiang in Water Margin

Chapter 123 Qin Ming Suffers a Setback at Qingfeng Village; Gongsun Competes at the Martial Arts Arena

Qin Ming was stunned by the news and stood there for a long time, unable to react. After a while, he shook his head and asked skeptically, "Are you sure about this? Hua Rong didn't lose a single soldier or horse?"

The soldier said, "It's absolutely true. A soldier from Qingfeng Village personally rode back to report the news, only to find that Magistrate Liu was no longer alive. A hundred soldiers also escorted the bandits from Peach Blossom Mountain back to Qingfeng Village!"

Qin Ming felt a bit confused! It wasn't that he didn't believe Hua Rong had taken Erlong Mountain, but rather how Hua Rong had managed to capture it without losing a single soldier!

After Huang Xin's defeat and return to Qingzhou that day, I specially rode to the foot of Erlong Mountain to take a look. I confirmed that Huang Xin had not exaggerated the danger of Erlong Mountain. If I were to launch a strong attack on Erlong Mountain, and if the bandits on Erlong Mountain held out to the death, I was afraid that I would not be able to take the mountain even if they had enough food and supplies!

This Hua Rong is truly remarkable! At this moment, Qin Ming both admired Hua Rong's bravery and felt disappointed in Huang Xin. They were both human, so why was there such a huge difference between them?

Seeing Hua Baoyan's smug expression despite not saying a word, Qin Ming felt his face burning. After thinking for a moment, he realized there was no point in staying at the Hua residence any longer. He couldn't win a verbal battle with those women, and he couldn't possibly fight them. With that thought, Qin Ming clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "I apologize for disturbing you. I'll take my leave now!" Without waiting for them to reply, he hurriedly left. Only a burst of silvery laughter could be heard behind him.

Pan Jinlian said, "Just as Clerk Song predicted, Qin Ming actually came!"

Hua Baoyan laughed and said, "Although Qin Ming is highly skilled in martial arts, he is just a brute."

After laughing and joking for a while, the group went into the back hall.

Qin Ming was somewhat frustrated. He was, after all, the military commander of Qingzhou Prefecture, yet he had been humiliated by a woman.

In fact, although Qin Ming was a reckless man, he was also a person who could recognize and respect heroes! He had always heard that Hua Rong was a man of extraordinary martial arts skills, wielding the Snow Mountain Flying Dragon Spear with unparalleled skill, and his archery was unmatched in the world!

Although Hua Rong's position was not as high as his, Qin Ming had the ambition to compete with him. He did not intend to make things difficult for Hua Rong when he went to the Hua residence. Qin Ming originally planned to praise Hua Rong and put him down, so that Hua Rong would remember his favor afterward. However, the people in the Hua residence were so tough and did not give him any face at all!

Qin Ming wanted to wait for Hua Rong to return before asking about Erlong Mountain! He wanted to find Huang Xin first to discuss the attack on Qingfeng Mountain the next day!

Upon arriving at the barracks, Qin Ming saw that all his soldiers were resting, but he didn't see Huang Xin. Somewhat puzzled, he asked a soldier, "Where's Huang Xin?"

The soldier said, "General Huang has gone to check on the soldiers of Qingfeng Village's training!"

Qin Ming was surprised and speechless. When would Huang Xin ever show some backbone? Hua Rong had already taken Erlong Mountain without firing a shot, yet this guy still had the leisure to watch the soldiers train, showing no interest whatsoever. How could he have taken on such a disciple in the first place?

Despite his anger, Qin Ming was also very curious about what kind of training method could attract Huang Xin so much, since Huang Xin was not someone who had never seen the world.

Driven by curiosity, Qin Ming arrived at the training ground, where he saw Huang Xin sitting and watching a group of soldiers running with great interest!

Qin Ming was greatly disappointed. What was so interesting about this running? Huang Xin was becoming more and more useless!

Something was wrong. Qin Ming suddenly felt a strange sensation. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the soldiers were divided into five teams of about twenty men each, running in perfect unison at a moderate pace. They were all carrying something on their backs, but he couldn't tell what it was! The leader of the team was a burly man who was shouting "One, two, one!" as he ran.

Qin Ming became interested, but he didn't seem to have heard of this burly man before. He didn't appear to be from the Qingfeng Village military camp. Thinking this, he roared, "Stop! All of you!"

Huang Xin also heard Qin Ming's voice, turned around and saw that it really was Qin Ming!

The soldiers also heard Qin Ming's voice, hesitated for a moment, and then Sun Xin shouted, "Don't get distracted, continue!"

The soldiers seemed to have made up their minds and started running after Sun Xin again!

It must be said that although Sun Xin is not a member of the military, he had spent some time with Sun Li before and has some experience in training and commanding troops!

Sun Li originally wanted Sun Xin to serve as his advisor, but the officialdom in Dengzhou was complicated by factions, and Sun Xin was used to being undisciplined. He preferred to wander around with Gu Dasao rather than stay by Sun Li's side!

The two brothers were competing with each other, so Sun Xin simply took his sister-in-law Gu and ran away from Dengzhou to travel for a while. They traveled for a long time and ran out of money. Sun Xin decided to return to Dengzhou first, but he did not plan to rely on his brother Sun Li. Instead, he opened a hotel and did some gambling business!

On their way back, they unexpectedly ran into Wang Ying and his gang. If it weren't for Song Jiang's rescue, they would never have made it back to Dengzhou!

After getting to know Song Jiang, he, who originally wanted to return to Dengzhou, suddenly became less anxious and wanted to stay by Song Jiang's side for a while. He was fascinated by Wu Song's martial arts, Hua Rong's archery skills, and even Song Jiang's methods of training soldiers!

Although Sun Xin's martial arts skills were not outstanding, they were taught by Sun Li and were not comparable to those of ordinary soldiers. Hua Rong saw that he was alright, so he temporarily asked him to lead the soldiers in some normal drills!

Of course, this was not allowed in the Song Dynasty, but there was no one to say it, and who could possibly know?

Seeing no one respond, Qin Ming was furious. It seemed that everything he did at Qingfeng Village was going wrong. First, he was blocked by his servants, then Hua Baoyan mocked him, and now even these soldiers dared to disobey him! To think that he, the mighty Thunderbolt and the number one military officer in Qingzhou, had actually ended up like this in Qingfeng Village!

Thinking of this, Qin Ming strode over and kicked one of the soldiers. This kick was delivered with anger. If it had landed, with Qin Ming's strength, the soldier would have been crippled for months, even if he didn't die on the spot!

In his panic, the soldier had no chance to dodge. Just as the kick was about to land, Sun Xin arrived in time and threw a punch. Qin Ming had no choice but to pull back his foot and block Sun Xin's heavy punch with his hand!

Sun Xin shouted, "What are you doing? You're trying to kill me right from the start!"

Qin Ming also shouted, "Where did you come from, you scoundrel, daring to lead soldiers in drills here? What business is it of yours if I discipline my soldiers!"

The soldier, having narrowly escaped death, was terrified. Sun Xin turned around and said, "You all rest for a bit. I'll teach this unreasonable man a lesson!"

Sun Xin knew that Qin Ming was exceptionally skilled, but he was always bold, and with all the soldiers watching, he couldn't back down. He immediately wanted to have a fight!

At that moment, a voice came from afar: "Please hold your hand, benefactor!"

Qin Ming turned around and saw a young Taoist priest slowly walking towards him!

Although the Taoist priest was young, he had an air of otherworldly grace and walked as if treading on clouds, inspiring awe in all who beheld him!

The Taoist priest before him made Qin Ming wary. Taoists held a high position in this dynasty, and this Taoist priest, despite his young age, was not someone to be underestimated. He was clearly no ordinary person!

"What advice does this Taoist priest have for me?" Qin Ming wasn't afraid of him, but he didn't want to offend him with his words, so his tone was much more polite!

Sun Xin exclaimed with delight, "Master Gongsun, you've arrived!"

Gongsun Sheng smiled slightly at Sun Xin, then said to Qin Ming, "This benefactor has a volatile temper; if he doesn't change, he may face great trouble in the future!"

Qin Ming had a bad temper to begin with, and he had been polite to the other party because he was a Taoist priest. But the Taoist priest was so rude that Qin Ming could no longer hold back and said bluntly, "This is just my nature, and I don't need outsiders to worry about me!"

Gongsun Sheng laughed and said, "What you rely on, benefactor, is nothing more than your martial arts skills! Why don't we have a match? If you can defeat me, I will retire to the mountains. If I win, I hope you will behave yourself in the future!"

Qin Ming, enraged, laughed, his competitive spirit ignited. He clenched his fist and said, "In that case, I, Qin, will gladly accept your esteemed skills, Daoist Master!"

Gongsun Sheng nodded and extended a hand, saying, "Please!"

Qin Ming clenched his fists and strode forward with tiger-like steps. The soldiers watching from the sidelines could feel an intense pressure that made them uncomfortable! Some even became unsteady on their feet!

Gongsun Sheng spoke casually, a smile on his face, exuding confidence that wasn't feigned but emanated from within!

With a "whoosh," Qin Ming moved first, his iron fist attacking Gongsun Sheng's face like a tiger descending a mountain!

No sooner said than done! Gongsun Sheng instantly unleashed a torrent of fighting spirit. Instead of dodging, he transformed his fist into a palm, avoiding a direct confrontation, and instead deflected Qin Ming's powerful punch, seizing the force of Qin Ming's unstoppable blow.

Qin Ming was slightly surprised, but Gongsun Sheng used his elbow as an attack, launching a swift upward strike!

Qin Ming quickly struggled free from Gongsun Sheng's arm and swiftly stepped back to dodge the elbow strike!

Qin Ming secretly breathed a sigh of relief, wondering what kind of move Gongsun Sheng had used. He dared not let his guard down and launched a second attack primarily with his feet!

He launched three consecutive kicks at Gongsun Sheng's sides and abdomen, but Gongsun Sheng was extremely agile and dodged them all. Then, before Qin Ming could retract his foot, he suddenly punched Qin Ming in the face. Qin Ming panicked and quickly raised his hand to block!

Little did they know that this was just a feint. Gongsun Sheng took the initiative and tripped Qin Ming with his foot!

Qin Ming sat on the ground, his face turning red and white in turns. What was there to say now that things had come to this? He had lost. Gongsun Sheng had obviously given him face and hadn't used his full strength, otherwise he would definitely have been injured.

The soldiers nearby also cheered silently, but dared not speak out because Qin Ming was present. They couldn't believe that Qin Ming, who was known as invincible in Qingzhou Prefecture, had been defeated so cleanly and decisively!

In fact, Gongsun Sheng did hold back. Otherwise, if he had used the Taoist ultimate technique of Yin and Yang, using the opponent's force against them, Qin Ming would have been seriously injured by the backlash!

It's not that Qin Ming's martial arts were far inferior to Gongsun Sheng's, but rather that Qin Ming was primarily skilled with heavy weapons, and his unarmed combat was ultimately somewhat lacking. Furthermore, Qin Ming relied mainly on strength, and his techniques were not as refined as Gongsun Sheng's. Moreover, Gongsun Sheng had been the one guiding Song Jiang's martial arts, and the two would often discuss martial arts with each other, giving Gongsun Sheng a great deal of insight. If we're only talking about unarmed combat, there are very few who are stronger than Gongsun Sheng!

The army has always admired the strong, and this has been true from ancient times to the present. The soldiers surrounded Gongsun Sheng and cheered loudly and excitedly. Sun Xin also walked up to Gongsun Sheng with a big smile on his face!

It's a pity that Gongsun Sheng is a Taoist priest, otherwise Qin Ming really wanted to recruit him. But a loss is a loss, an unchangeable fact, and Qin Ming is not someone who can't accept defeat!

Standing up, he dusted himself off and said, "Daoist Master, you've won. I keep my word. Everything is settled, and I'll control my temper from now on!" With that, he turned and left quickly without looking back. Huang Xin, seeing that Qin Ming wasn't coming, followed him, though somewhat reluctant, and left the training ground quickly.

In the military camp, Huang Xin watched Qin Ming sitting in the commander's seat, unresponsive, and felt a little uneasy. He cautiously called out, "Master!"

Qin Ming glanced at his "good-for-nothing" disciple, sighed inwardly, and said calmly, "Tomorrow, try to take Qingfeng Mountain in one fell swoop. I'll personally back you up. Don't disappoint me again, and don't tarnish the reputation of Qingzhou Prefecture!"

Huang Xin felt that Qin Ming was different from usual. If it were in the past, he would have been lucky if he hadn't been reprimanded. He was much calmer than he was today!

Could it be that losing to that Taoist priest changed his master's mindset? Huang Xin didn't know the reason, nor did he want to think about it. He bowed and hurriedly took his leave!

The next day, Huang Xin mustered his troops, picked up his Death Sword and Mountain-Suppressing Whip, and rode his horse toward Qingfeng Mountain. This time, he did not ask Qin Ming to support him!

Yes! Qin Ming has always been praising me, but I have messed things up time and time again. It is only right and wrong that I should give Qin Ming some face. Otherwise, if word gets out, wouldn't I, Huang Xin, become a laughing stock, and Qin Ming would also lose face?

After bidding farewell to Hua Rong, Li Kui galloped all the way. After a day's journey, he felt a pang of hunger and thought, "I wonder how many more miles I have to go. How can I endure this without some food and drink?"

After walking for a while, they saw a hotel ahead, went inside, found a mulberry wood table and stool, sat down, and put the Ghost King Axe aside!

A woman standing by the stove, seeing Li Kui's fierce appearance, felt a little flustered, but still stepped forward and asked, "Sir, would you like to light a fire?"

Li Kui nodded and said, "First, bring me two jiao of wine to drink, then cook some rice, and if there's any meat, arrange some. If we stop for a while, I'll pay you back. May I ask, innkeeper, how far is it from here to Erlong Mountain?"

The woman called over a young man to pour the wine and replied, "It's about thirty or forty li from here to Erlong Mountain. It would probably take a whole day to travel there!"

After saying that, the woman went to stir-fry meat and cook!

Li Kui pondered, "Brother Gongming said there's a man named Cao Zheng who's quite capable, but we can't be sure if he's actually here. Perhaps I should ask him!"

Before long, the meat and rice were served. Li Kui asked, "Shopkeeper, do you have a man named Cao Zheng here?"

Note: As explained before, this book does not contain any magic or ghosts, so neither Gongsun Sheng nor Luo Zhenren possess any magic. However, in the original work, these two were semi-immortals at the pinnacle of magic, so their martial arts have been enhanced here!

Gu Dasao is described as quite fierce in the original novel. Her nickname is "Mother Tiger," which means a female tiger. The character that best fits her appearance is the one in the Little Raccoon Water Margin card. However, this version is slightly modified, based on the actors from the new Water Margin or the movie version, and their appearance has been greatly improved!