Liver in Water Margin, outlaw madman

Shi Wenbin felt a weight lifted from his heart and was in an exceptionally good mood. Seeing Zhu Tong and Lei Heng rushing over, he put on a warm smile and said:

"You two captains have arrived, just in time."

He pointed to Wang Er and the others still curled up on the ground, and said in a relaxed tone, "Shijie Village and Wangjia Village have had a private fight. Which of you two will represent the county to mediate and quell the dispute?"

Upon hearing this, Lei Heng's eyes lit up instantly, and a hint of joy flashed across his face.

He knew exactly what was going on. Shijie Village was full of poor fishermen with little to no profit to be made, but Wangjia Village was different. Wang Heng was a well-known fishing tyrant in the area, with money and grain at home. In the past, he never had the chance to find a reason to go there and get some benefits.

Now that such a good thing has been delivered to his doorstep, how could he possibly let it pass by?

Lei Heng quickly stepped forward, bowed, and clasped his hands, saying, "Your Excellency, I am willing to go! I will certainly not fail in my mission and will properly mediate this matter!"

Zhu Tong stood silently to the side, his face expressionless.

He knew Lei Heng too well. Lei Heng was always the first to volunteer for lucrative jobs like these, and he was too lazy to compete for them.

"Alright!" Shi Wenbin nodded in satisfaction. "Then I'll trouble Chief Lei to make the trip, bring more men, and make sure to stabilize the situation and prevent things from escalating."

He knew in his heart that his Yuncheng County was not a place of great literary talent, and had not produced any Jinshi or Juren in all these years, but people who practiced martial arts came in an endless stream, especially his two captains, whose martial arts skills were quite good.

"Rest assured, Your Excellency!" Lei Heng nodded respectfully, though he was already scheming how to gain as much benefit as possible once he arrived at Wangjia Village.

Shi Wenbin stood up, straightened his official robes, and prepared to leave the office to rest.

He turned and glanced at Zhang Wenyuan standing to the side, then gave Lei Heng a meaningful look, said nothing more, and turned to walk towards the backyard.

Zhang Wenyuan was quick-witted. He understood the magistrate's meaning from his eyes and nodded secretly, indicating that he would take care of it.

Once Shi Wenbin's figure disappeared into the backyard, Lei Heng's respectful expression vanished instantly. He impatiently shouted at Wang Er and the others on the ground, "You people from Wangjia Village, get up! Lead the way!"

He couldn't wait to get to Wangjia Village, even if it meant walking at night.

Staying one more night in Wangjia Village would bring more benefits, so why not?

Wang Er gritted his teeth, enduring the pain from the cane, and slowly got up from the ground, wincing in pain with every movement.

He lowered his head, but his eyes held a deep hatred, and he cursed inwardly: Damn magistrate, damn yamen runners, damn Yuncheng County!

The humiliation and pain of today will be avenged one by one when the opportunity arises!

Lei Heng was preoccupied with the benefits he was about to obtain, his eyes fixed on Wang Er, completely unaware that Zhang Wenyuan was giving him meaningful glances.

Helpless, Zhang Wenyuan could only quickly step forward, grab Lei Heng's arm, pull him to a corner, and say in a low, urgent voice:

"Commander Lei, you must be careful! This matter is probably not so simple. Bring more men. What those people from Wangjia Village said might not be false; they could very well be Liangshan bandits who have come down from the mountain!"

"Hiss—" Upon hearing this, Lei Heng couldn't help but gasp, the joy on his face vanishing instantly, replaced by a hint of panic.

He suddenly remembered that when Song Jiang found him earlier, he was about to say something when he heard the county government's grievance drum sound. He was anxious and rushed over, so he didn't hear what Song Jiang said at all.

The first person Song Jiang found was Zhu Tong. He briefly explained the situation at Wangjia Village and reminded Zhu Tong to prepare for the expedition. Then he went to find him, but Zhu Tong was wandering around the entertainment district and Song Jiang couldn't find him for a while.

"But...but didn't the magistrate just say it was just a village feud?" Lei Heng's voice trembled slightly. He secretly regretted that he had agreed without thinking because of greed. If it really was Liangshan bandits, then he would be in trouble.

Zhang Wenyuan gave a wry smile, lowered his voice, and said helplessly, "Commander Lei, are you confused? If it were really Liangshan bandits looting the village, would the county magistrate dare to report it? Would we dare to report it truthfully? In that case, you'd be the first one to get into trouble, let alone the county magistrate!"

Lei Heng reacted instantly, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.

Yes, if the Liangshan bandits really came down the mountain to cause trouble, he, as the captain, would be guilty of both failing to guard against them and mishandling the situation. At that time, he would be punished with caning and fines, or even lose his life. There would be no benefit for him to gain.

"Brother Wenyuan, what should we do now?" Lei Heng was completely panicked and had no idea what to do.

He thought it was a lucrative job, but it turned out to be a deadly one, and he was filled with regret.

Zhang Wenyuan looked around to make sure no one was paying attention before whispering, "Drag it out! The longer the better!"

He paused, then continued, "The Liangshan bandits plunder only for money and food. After they've looted, they'll definitely retreat back to Liangshan Marsh as soon as possible. Let's take our time and drag it out until they leave. Once we reach Wangjia Village, we can just find some excuse to treat it as a village feud, go through the motions, and that'll be the end of it."

Upon hearing this, Lei Heng's eyes lit up instantly, and he nodded hurriedly, "That's right! Brother Wen Yuan, you're so thoughtful! Thank you for reminding me, brother. I'll definitely treat you to a drink when I get back!"

Wang Er, who had been waiting anxiously, stepped forward as soon as the two finished whispering, urging them urgently, "Captain, let's hurry! The situation in Wangjia Village is unclear; if we delay any longer, it might be too late!"

He couldn't stop thinking about the safety of Wangjia Village. If Wangjia Village couldn't be defended and Wang Heng got into trouble, the villagers wouldn't have a good life in the future, and they might even be wiped out by the Liangshan bandits.

He glanced at Lei Heng and saw that Lei Heng was a big, burly man with a full beard, looking like someone not to be trifled with. He felt a little more at ease.

Fortunately, this constable seems to be efficient and decisive, so he should be able to get to Wangjia Village as soon as possible.

Wang Er secretly plotted in his heart: If he ever had the chance to settle the score for today's humiliation, he would spare the life of this captain.

As for repaying a debt of gratitude?

Their Wang family doesn't have this tradition!

Upon hearing this, Lei Heng snorted coldly, his face darkening, and he impatiently rebuked, "What's the rush! Preparing weapons and arranging manpower for a military expedition isn't that simple!"

He paused, then found another excuse, his tone hardening: "Besides, it's already dark. We can't see the road clearly. By the time we get there, it might be past midnight. How can we mediate your dispute in the dark? Who will be responsible if something goes wrong?"

"Oh no! Captain, this won't do!" Wang Er stamped his feet anxiously, his voice trembling with tears. "Saving lives is urgent! Those Liangshan bandits are all ruthless and vicious; they certainly won't let this go. If we're even a step later, Wang Family Village will truly be finished!"

"What Liangshan bandits!" Lei Heng glared and shouted angrily, "I think it's because your Wangjia Village used to be so domineering and bullying, offending the people of Shijie Village, that they're coming after you! Stop spreading rumors and disturbing people's peace!"

He was now in a bind, forced to remain defiant, though inwardly he was terribly panicked.

Although he was known in the martial arts world as "Winged Tiger" and his martial arts skills were not bad, he knew very well that the Liangshan gang were all desperate criminals who didn't care about their lives, and they were not even in the same league as the petty thieves he usually caught.

Lei Heng couldn't help but turn his head to look at Zhu Tong standing to the side. Seeing that Zhu Tong was still expressionless and calm, he immediately had an idea.

He strode up to Zhu Tong, a fawning smile plastered on his face. Lowering his voice, he pleaded earnestly, "Brother Zhu Tong, I beg you for a favor. Could you please cover my retreat? I'm truly unsure of myself; with you here, I'll feel much more at ease!"

Zhu Tong actually knew more than Lei Heng. When Song Jiang found him earlier, although he didn't explain in detail, he did remind him that this matter might involve the Liangshan bandits.

He had originally thought that if the county magistrate arranged for him to go, he would go, but he didn't expect Lei Heng to take the initiative and jump out first.

He and Lei Heng had worked together in the county government for many years and had always cooperated with each other. It was common for them to help each other out, and their friendship was quite deep.

Zhu Tong pondered for a moment, then nodded. He was a righteous man by nature, and seeing Lei Heng's earnest request, he couldn't refuse. He said in a low voice, "Alright, I'll go with you. But it's already dark today, and visibility is poor. If it really is Liangshan bandits, we have to be careful. It would be safer to wait until dawn tomorrow before setting off."

Upon hearing this, Lei Heng nodded quickly, a weight lifted from his heart: "Thank you, brother! We'll do as you say, brother. We'll set off first thing tomorrow morning!"

The two stood aside, discussing tomorrow's plans in hushed tones, completely ignoring Wang Er, who was pacing anxiously to the side.

Wang Er stood there, his hands clenched tightly, his face deathly pale, his heart burning with anxiety, his mind filled with thoughts of the safety of Wangjia Village.

I wonder how Wangjia Village is doing now?