Liver in Water Margin, outlaw madman

Speed ​​is of the essence in war. To prevent the news from leaking out, everyone immediately decided to set off for Liangshan the next day.

The three Nguyen brothers already had a strong foothold in Shek Chee Village, with manpower and boats readily available. With just a call, they could gather more than a dozen fishing boats in no time.

These fishermen have always been closely connected with the three brothers. In the Water Margin, when Chao Gai and his men robbed the birthday gifts, they were able to defeat the government troops because of the desperate help of these brothers from Shijie Village. Their appeal was extraordinary.

"Si Lang, Instructor Zhang, I trouble you two to stay behind for the time being and take good care of the family, supplies, and horses."

Zhang Shan made arrangements in a deep voice.

This trip is rushed, and the women and baggage all need to be looked after; we cannot be careless.

Fishermen use small fishing boats, which are narrow and can only accommodate three to five people at a time, with no room for many livestock.

After discussion, the group decided to transport only one warhorse onto the ship, which was specifically reserved for Lin Chong.

Lu Zhishen was wearing heavy armor, which made it difficult for him to move around on horseback.

The fleet sailed away from Shijie Village and into the vast expanse of water.

Standing at the bow of the boat, Ruan Xiaoqi looked at the weapons and armor around Zhang Shan, Lu Zhishen, Lin Chong, and the others, her eyes filled with envy. She leaned closer to Zhang Shan and whispered, "Brother, could you get us brothers some armor for protection sometime?"

"Haha, that's easy." Zhang Shan laughed heartily, his gaze sweeping across the water. "In the future, each of us brothers will naturally have one. But I'd like to ask, what kind of armor would be suitable for our navy?"

Ruan Xiaoqi was taken aback at first, but when she heard the words "naval force," her eyes widened instantly, and her voice was filled with excitement: "Brother, do you mean that after we take Liangshan, we'll have to train a naval force?"

"That's natural." Zhang Shan looked up into the distance, where the outline of Liangshan was gradually becoming clearer through the mist. "With eight hundred li of natural defenses along the river, how could this territory be protected without a navy?"

As the words fell, the boats drew ever closer, and the entire view of Liangshan came into full view.

Looking at the mountain scenery before him, Lu Zhishen couldn't help but exclaim in praise:

"What a big island!"

Three mountain peaks rise and fall in succession, with the main peak standing tall and majestic, and the two peaks on the left and right embracing and guarding it. The whole mountain shape is like a giant beast lying dormant in the water, with a majestic and imposing aura.

The lake is vast and expansive, with waves crashing against the shore in layers. Although it is just a lake, it has the grandeur of a surging river or sea.

"Brother Xiaoqi, how many places are there on the Liangshan coast that can be reached by land?" Zhang Shan asked.

Ruan Xiaoqi fixed his gaze on Liangshan and replied without hesitation: "There are more than a dozen places, some are soft mudflats, some are cliffs. Only Jinshatan can accommodate large ships to dock and large groups of people to travel. The other places can only accommodate small groups of people to move around quietly."

The group of more than a dozen small boats did not head straight for Golden Beach, but instead, guided by Ruan Xiaoqi, sailed in the opposite direction along a secluded waterway.

Ruan Xiaoer steered the boat at the forefront, carefully choosing hidden waterways to avoid the Liangshan patrol boats.

The 800-li marshland was truly vast, and Liangshan had very few people to begin with, so patrols simply couldn't cover such a large body of water.

A large group of people would naturally find it difficult to hide their tracks, but Zhang Shan's group was small in number and deliberately concealed themselves, thus easily avoiding being seen or heard.

Moreover, the Liangshan bandits were always arrogant and didn't take small groups seriously.

When they approached a secluded mudflat, the boat could no longer proceed.

Zhang Shan immediately ordered, "Leave a few brothers here to guard the boat; the rest of you, come ashore with me!"

Everyone stood up and jumped off the boat one by one.

The lake water was ankle-deep, and the group waded through it, splashing water with their footsteps, until they reached the shore steadily.

"Put on your armor! Put on your armor!"

Unable to contain his excitement, Lu Zhishen urged him repeatedly and reached for his armor.

Now, his love for heavy armor has almost surpassed his love for the water-milled Zen staff that he uses day and night.

Seeing this, Zhang Shan couldn't help but advise, "Brother, we might have to fight our way up to the top of the mountain. You're already wearing armor, and I'm afraid you won't have the stamina to keep up."

"Don't worry, Third Brother, just watch!" Lu Zhishen patted his chest, completely unconcerned, his face only showing eager joy.

Ruan Xiaoer walked at the front of the group, his feet treading on the rugged mountain path. He turned back and whispered a reminder to everyone: "This path is treacherous and difficult to traverse, but it can bypass the bandits of Jinshatan and take you directly to the mountainside."

Zhang Shan nodded slightly, but many questions remained in his mind:

No one knows what Liangshan's current defensive arrangements are;

Several checkpoints and passes were set up on the mountain, but no one knew about them;

There was no way of knowing where Wang Lun was at that moment.

The action was taken hastily, out of sheer necessity.

Liangshan was already isolated and closed off; if they were to investigate step by step, it would take an unknown amount of time.

They took a detour to land on the shore precisely to avoid being intercepted by the Liangshan forces on the water.

Now that we're on shore, there's no need to sneak around anymore.

What Zhang Shan wanted was not a stealthy, sneak attack, but a direct, frontal assault.

"Big brother, second brother," he said, looking at Lu Zhishen and Ruan Xiaoer, his tone steady, "we'll head straight for Jinshatan and follow the main road. If Wang Lun knows what's good for him, everything will be fine; if he doesn't, we'll fight our way up."

Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Zhishen nodded emphatically: "Alright! I'll follow all your arrangements, Third Brother!"

Lin Chong had no objection. He gripped his spear tightly and said in a deep voice, "In that case, I'll go ahead and scout ahead to see what they're capable of."

Having said that, he led his horse forward.

The mountain roads here are rugged and narrow, making warhorses a burden. But once they reach open areas, it's time for the warhorses to gallop and show off their skills.

The group followed closely behind, proceeding along the narrow path.

The mountain path was lined with dense trees, with a thick layer of dead branches and fallen leaves that rustled underfoot. Thorns grew everywhere, but the group, armed with weapons, pushed aside the branches that blocked their way and moved forward steadily.

After walking for a short while, the mountain became increasingly steep, with towering cliffs on both sides, leaving only a narrow path for passage.

Lin Chong walked at the front, stopping from time to time to observe his surroundings.

Lu Zhishen donned his armor, the heavy armor plates clanging with each step, yet it did not impede his pace.

The Nguyen brothers were familiar with the waterways and mountain paths, and they walked on the side, always keeping an eye on their surroundings.

Zhang Shan brought up the rear of the group, planning his strategy once he reached the top of the mountain.

The group traveled swiftly, not daring to delay even for a moment.

The wind whistled through the woods, carrying the dampness of the water, creating a moment of oppressive stillness.

We didn't see a single person along the way.

Zhang Shan didn't know whether to feel fortunate or helpless.

It is said that the world is a huge makeshift stage, and Liangshan is a small makeshift stage.

This Liangshan Island cannot be defended by a mere few hundred people.

About half an hour later, the dense forest in front suddenly parted to both sides.

The originally narrow and rugged mountain road suddenly became wide open.

A quick glance revealed flat terrain ahead, with a main road leading straight up the mountain, and the outline of a checkpoint faintly visible in the distance!

Ruan Xiaoqi exclaimed excitedly, "Golden Beach is just ahead!"