Liver in Water Margin, outlaw madman

Wu Yong stood at the entrance of the courtyard and said to a villager:

"Please pass on a message saying that I have some family matters to attend to and need to rest for a few days, so I will not be teaching for the time being."

The villager responded and turned to leave.

Not far away, several children who were studying with him immediately erupted in excitement upon hearing this, jumping and dancing with joy.

This prompted Wu Yong to shake his head helplessly.

The Ruan brothers led Wu Yong on a tour around Liangshan, and then they inspected Li Family Village and Zhao Family Village in person.

Wu Yong thought to himself that he had already gained a lot by being able to personally inspect the situation around Liangshan.

After inspecting the area, the group stood on the shore, gazing at the Liangshan stronghold shrouded in mist in the distance. Wu Yong took a deep breath and spoke solemnly.

"Would it be convenient for me to make a trip up the mountain and meet with your village chief?"

He was already somewhat tempted.

Before coming, he was somewhat skeptical, but after traveling along the way, he discovered that everything the Nguyen brothers said was true.

The Liangshan soldiers were all in high spirits, and the fishermen they encountered on the water treated them with great respect.

His appearance is completely different from before.

Upon hearing this, Ruan Xiaoer frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and lowered his voice: "Sir, Liangshan is the place where we brothers live, it's not exactly a good place."

"If things were still as casual as they were in Shijie Village, I would certainly invite you up the mountain for a visit. But now that we are in Liangshan, I am afraid that it would offend your senses."

"Oh, Erlang, you're mistaken."

Wu Yong smiled, waved his hand, and said sincerely, "If it were the old Wang Lun who was in charge of Liangshan, even if you invited me, I wouldn't go."

"Now that Liangshan has a new hero in charge, someone who can win the trust of his brothers and the respect of the fishermen, wouldn't it be a lifelong regret for me to let such a person slip through my fingers?"

What he said was seven parts true and three parts false.

Along the way, he had already noticed the respect the three Ruan brothers had for their new leader. If he just flattered them a bit, he could probably satisfy his curiosity and see this mysterious new leader of Liangshan with his own eyes.

As expected, Ruan Xiaoqi took the bait, immediately raising her head, patting her chest, and laughing heartily: "Haha, sir is right! I knew you had good taste!"

"I will lead you up the mountain now, sir. But do not be afraid, sir. We Liangshan brothers are all righteous and honorable men, and we will never make things difficult for you!"

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid."

Wu Yong quickly waved his hand, a smile plastered on his face, "With Xiao Qi by my side, what do I have to be afraid of?"

He was a scholar and understood the importance of books and information better than anyone else.

Being able to climb the mountain today and see the layout of Liangshan is a beneficial experience.

Upon hearing this, Ruan Xiaoqi became even happier, grabbed Wu Yong's arm, and led him toward the small boat on the shore.

Ruan Xiaoer and Ruan Xiaowu followed closely behind, and the group rowed the small boat slowly towards Liangshan stronghold.

Meanwhile, on Liangshan Mountain, inside the council hall.

Zhang Shan's gaze fell on a man in front of him with a simple and honest face and a bright red nose.

This man was the "big-nosed" Li Si had mentioned, a brother who had fought his way from Tokyo with them.

"Big Nose, you said you can brew wine?" Zhang Shan's eyes were full of curiosity.

Ever since he started making distilled spirits, he has been searching for a suitable person to make them.

He set two conditions: first, loyalty; second, preferably, the ability to brew wine.

Brewing their own raw liquor and then distilling it not only saves costs but also makes it less vulnerable to being controlled by outsiders, which is crucial to Liangshan's financial resources.

However, the first clause narrows the scope considerably.

Zhang Shan now trusts only these few brothers who have gone through life and death together with him.

Unexpectedly, Li Si told him that among the people who had followed them from Tokyo, there were indeed people who knew how to brew wine.

Upon hearing this, Big Nose immediately stepped forward, straightening his back ramrod straight, and said urgently, "Third Brother, what are you saying! My family used to run a distillery, look at my nose!"

As he spoke, he pointed to his bright red nose, his face showing a mixture of pride and bitterness.

Zhang Shan had no idea about these things before. He only noticed that the tip of his big nose was always slightly red, and he always thought that he had mild rhinitis. He never thought about brewing wine.

"Then why have you never mentioned this before?" Zhang Shan pressed, his tone tinged with doubt.

"Hey, Third Brother."

Big Nose sighed, his shoulders slumped slightly, and his voice lowered, "When I was ten years old, my family was framed for illegally producing yeast, and our small distillery was shut down."

"My parents couldn't bear the blow and fell ill. They passed away one after the other not long after."

"If it weren't for you and Fourth Brother helping me out on the streets of Tokyo and giving me a bite to eat, I probably would have starved to death on the streets long ago..."

At this point, Big Nose's nose turned red again, and his eyes welled up with tears.

Seeing this, Zhang Shan quickly stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder, and said in a gentler tone, "Alright, alright, it's all in the past, let's not talk about it anymore."

"Now we're all brothers, there's no distinction between us."

"Are the people who harmed your family still in Tokyo? Given the chance, I'll definitely avenge you!"

Upon hearing the words "revenge," Big Nose shuddered, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, indicating a hint of interest.

But this initial attraction was quickly replaced by bitterness. He shook his head and whispered:

"Third Brother, let's forget about it."

"That guy has Cai Jing backing him up. His wine shop is a top-tier establishment in Tokyo called Huixianlou. He's very powerful, and we can't afford to offend him."

"Big Nose, what are you saying!"

Wang Wu, with his quick temper, immediately became indignant upon hearing this, rolling up his sleeves and glaring fiercely, "We dared to kill Gao Qiu, what's one more lackey of Cai Jing?"

Li Si stood to the side, his expression calm, and slowly spoke, his tone firm: "Big Nose, we were powerless before, so we could only swallow our anger and accept it."

"Now that we have our third brother here, we will definitely avenge you and comfort your parents' spirits in heaven, whenever we have the chance."

Zhang Shan nodded, his eyes firm, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "Yes, Li Si is right."

"Let's deal with that bastard from Huixianlou first, vent our anger, and then settle accounts with Cai Jing another time!"

He knew in his heart that the wealth in ancient times was limited and was either in the hands of the common people or in the hands of the government and the powerful.

Cai Jing wielded immense power and was insatiably greedy. Over the years, he seized countless riches and, in his struggle for profit against the people, he harmed countless ordinary citizens like the Cai family.

Upon hearing this, Big Nose could no longer hold back. With a "plop," he fell to the ground, his forehead touching the earth, his voice choked with sobs, and tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Third Brother, thank you so much! Without you, I would have died long ago, and I wouldn't be where I am today!"

"If we can truly avenge my parents someday, I, Big Nose, will follow Third Brother through fire and water for all eternity, in this life and the next!"

Zhang Shan quickly bent down, reached out to help Big Nose up, patted the dust off his clothes, and said gently, "We're brothers, don't be so formal."

"We, the brothers of Liangshan, should live and die together. Your enemy is our enemy."

"Third Brother, tell me, what exactly happened?"

The man with the big nose raised his head, wiped away his tears with his sleeve, his eyes resolute, his face filled with determination.

"Whether it's brewing wine or anything else, as long as Third Brother gives the order, even if it means my death, I'll do it willingly and without regret!"

He knew in his heart that Zhang Shan always kept his word, and even if he couldn't kill Cai Jing in the future, the owner of Huixianlou would definitely not escape.

He would do anything to avenge his parents.