RNP Page 82
Page 82
Song Jiang was stunned for a moment, and all the words she wanted to say to win Qin Ming over stuck in her throat. When she first recruited Qin Ming to the mountain, she really hadn't considered the matter of family members. Or rather, Song Jiang only cared about Qin Ming's powerful strength and didn't care at all about what would happen to Qin Ming's family.
Chapter 206: The Entire Qingfeng Mountain Group Returns to Liang (Bonus Chapter at 2900 Words!)
"What the hell-"
Seeing Song Jiang's stunned expression, Qin Ming immediately guessed that the man hadn't remembered his family at all. Enraged, he turned and left! "Now that things have come to this, I have no choice but to act. I will transform into hellfire and crash into Yidu City in Qingzhou to save my wife and family!"
Just then, several henchmen burst in.
"Reporting—Chief Song! The Great Sage of Liangshan requests an audience!"
"The Great Sage Who Conquers Heaven?"
Yan Shun, Wang Ying, and Zheng Tianshou immediately showed admiration in their eyes. This was the leader of the Shandong bandits! He had intercepted the birthday tribute twice, and repelled the imperial court's encirclement twice. The latest time, he had even repelled 100,000 imperial guards!
Currently, the three most notorious bandits of the Song Dynasty are Fang La of Jiangnan, Wang Qing of Huaixi, and Tian Hu of Hebei.
The fourth person below these three notorious bandits is probably Liu Hong from Shandong.
"Oh? It's the Great Sage? Quickly, welcome him in!"
Hearing that an old friend had arrived, Song Jiang composed himself and hurriedly welcomed Liu Hong's arrival. Qin Ming snorted coldly, anxious to save his wife, and didn't care about anything else. He was in a hurry to save his wife, but he had only gone halfway down the mountain when he saw Liu Hong, Lü Fang, and Guo Sheng protecting his wife as they walked from afar.
"My lady? How did you escape Qingzhou? And why are you here?!"
Qin Ming's voice trembled slightly. She had almost thought she was going to lose her wife forever. The best-case scenario was that Prefect Murong, enraged by Hua Rong's impersonation and rebellion, would take her entire family hostage. She never expected that they would all be rescued!
"My lord! Fortunately, Brother Xianzhong gave us a warning in advance and rescued us. Otherwise, my entire family would have perished at the hands of the government troops! After we got out, we inexplicably encountered a group of bandits, and it was only with Brother Xianzhong's protection that we managed to break through their encirclement!"
Qin Ming's wife, sobbing, rushed into Qin Ming's arms and cried her heart out.
"As long as it's okay, it'll be okay."
Qin Ming felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and his whole body relaxed instantly. He hugged his wife and family tightly, looked at Liu Hong with gratitude, and walked over to kowtow three times to express his heartfelt thanks.
At this moment, Liu Hong's position among the Heavenly Stars has gained one more person.
【秦明·天猛星】：你的天罡斩，转化做地狱火形态，天罡斩初始伤害从2~16提升为4~24地狱烈焰伤害。伤害大范围溅射。每额外多一重天罡斩，都多一颗地狱火流星陨落。伤害从1~8星辰伤害，提高为2~12地狱烈焰伤害。
Liu Hong gasped. This thing directly amplified the damage of his Heavenly Gang Slash! Is this the kind of super-powerful ability granted by beings at the level of the Five Tiger Generals?
Wu Song's Heavenly Wound Power is incredibly potent. When his health drops to 1%, the damage of his Heavenly Strike is amplified by 99%, and any abnormal damage inflicted will also grant an additional 50% amplification, stacking infinitely. It's terrifying.
Qin Ming's Heavenly Might is also formidable, significantly increasing the base damage of the Heavenly Gang Slash while granting it an exaggerated area-of-effect splash damage capability. While Wu Song's amplification is conditional, Qin Ming's is an unconditional, all-around damage amplification, unparalleled in its ferocity and domineering power.
Although Lin Chong joined Liangshan, she never truly submitted to Liu Hong. After all, Liu Hong was the instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards, and his ability to deploy troops was even superior to Lin Chong's. She treated Liu Hong as her junior brother, even like family, and doted on him. But Liu Hong hadn't conquered her—except in bed.
After taking Qin Ming in, the group returned to the Qingfeng Village camp and reunited. However, this time Song Jiang only gained the three leaders of Qingfeng Mountain and Hua Rong. Qin Ming, while not exactly hating Song Jiang, was somewhat dissatisfied—"Fine, fine, since you've forced me to become an outlaw, why shouldn't I go to Liu Hong, Lin Chong, Yang Zhi, and Suo Chao of Liangshan, instead of following a black-hearted Song Jiang?"
Qin Ming's deputy and disciple, Huang Xin, who was also captured and released, was confused but still stood on his master's side without hesitation, following Liu Hong.
Seeing that the cooked duck had flown away, Song Jiang was not angry. Instead, he held a grand banquet to entertain everyone, and the feast lasted for three to five days. The underlings, having learned of what had happened, came up the mountain to report.
"It's terrible! Chief! We've learned that Prefect Murong of Qingzhou has sent a document to the Central Secretariat, reporting that Hua Rong, Qin Ming, and Huang Xin have rebelled, and the court is about to send a large army to suppress and wipe out Qingfeng Mountain."
Upon hearing this, the heroes whispered amongst themselves, discussing the matter amongst themselves.
“This small village is not a place to linger. If a large army arrives and we are surrounded on all sides with no way to retreat, how can we fight back? If we run out of food and supplies, we will surely be unable to escape. We should make some plans.”
Song Jiang said confidently, "I have a plan, but I don't know if it will suit your tastes?"
All the heroes immediately said, "We wish to hear your wise advice. We look forward to your guidance, brother."
Song Jiang said, “There is a place to the south called Liangshan Marsh, which covers an area of over 800 li, with Wanzicheng and Liaoerwa in the middle. Liu Hong, the Great Sage of Chaos, and Chao Gai, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, have gathered six camps and three thousand soldiers to guard the marsh. Ordinary government troops and bandits are not even worthy of giving Liangshan a second glance. Why don’t we gather our men and go there to join them? It just so happens that the Great Sage is here at the moment. I wonder if the Great Sage would be willing to accept us?”
In an instant, all the heroes turned their gazes toward Liu Hong, their eyes filled with hope. Although Qingfeng Mountain was treacherous, compared to Liangshan Marsh, it was like a humble abode facing the Epang Palace.
"Alright! Let's set off today. I will personally lead all the brothers to Liangshan, and then we'll come to Qingzhou to do my own thing!"
Liu Hong readily agreed, not afraid of Song Jiang causing trouble on the mountain. They were both seasoned foxes, so who was afraid of whom?
The heroes discussed and decided on the same day, then assembled more than ten carts and loaded the old and young, along with gold, silver, valuables, clothes, and luggage, onto them. There were a total of two or three hundred fine horses. Those henchmen who did not wish to go were given some silver and allowed to go down the mountain to find another master.
Those who wished to join were incorporated into the team, making a total of two thousand men, including those brought by Hua Rong and Qin Ming. They all left Qingfeng Mountain and headed towards Liangshan Marsh. Upon seeing this large group of soldiers and civilians on the road, and with their banners clearly proclaiming "Capturing Bandits and Government Troops," no one dared to obstruct them.
After traveling for five or seven days, they arrived at the territory of Jizhou. Several people threw down the government army flags, and Liu Hong stood on the carriage. With his wings spread, he was more effective than any flag. The people cheered and jumped for joy, while the government soldiers were terrified. They let this group of people march towards Liangshan in a grand manner.
Chapter 207: The Three-Part Division of Liangshan Marsh
Just as the group arrived in Jeju Island, preparing to head to Liangshan, a woman with skin as transparent and hard as diamonds suddenly blocked their path. The air around her seemed to be sculpted into magnificent, prismatic rainbows. Millions of perfectly cut diamond facets formed the captivating hollow at her waist, where countless shades of peach and amber shimmered when sunlight streamed through. The overlapping facets at her hips, cut into geometric vortices, shattered the midday sun's harshness into a gently flowing, intoxicating halo.
"Who is coming!"
Wang Ying rode out of the ranks, brandishing a steel spear, and blocked the man's path. The man did not make a move, but instead clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to Wang Ying.
"Song Jiang, is Sister Song Gongming here?"
The woman, whose entire body was made of diamonds, respectfully inquired of the crowd.
"My name is Shi Yong, and I am originally from Daming Prefecture. I make a living by running a gambling den. Because my body can turn into stone, my fellow villagers call me General Shi. I killed someone with a punch during a gambling incident and fled to the estate of Master Chai. I have heard many people in the martial arts world speak of the great name of Sister Timely Rain, so I went to Yuncheng County to seek refuge with her."
But then she heard that he was on the run because of the matter of killing Yan Poxi. She then met Song Qing, the Iron Fan Master, and heard him mention Master Chai, saying that her sister had gone to Qingfeng Mountain to seek refuge with General Hua Rong. Therefore, she instructed her younger brother to visit her. Song Qing wrote this letter home, and said that he would go with her, and if they found her, "tell her to return immediately."
Upon hearing this, Song Jiang became suspicious, wondering why his sister Song Qing was in such a hurry for him to return home. He asked, "You've been staying at my manor for a few days. Have you seen my father?"
Shi Yong shook his head blankly: "I only stayed there for one night before coming here, and I did not get to see you, sir."
Song Jiang nodded and took the letter from Shi Yong. He found that it contained only one short line: "My father passed away from illness at the beginning of the first month of this year. His body is currently lying in state at home, awaiting my brother's arrival to move the remains. Please, please do not delay! Respectfully written by Song Qing with tears in his eyes."
After reading it, Song Jiang felt dizzy and her vision went black. Overwhelmed by the pain of losing her father, she fell off her horse. Everyone rushed to help her up. Song Jiang was lying in Wang Ying's arms, crying out in pain. She pounded her chest and slapped herself several times.
At this moment, the madness, arrogance, ruthlessness, and ambition she displayed when she became an outlaw on Qingfeng Mountain, giving orders and defeating government troops, are gradually fading away. She has actually regained the purity and benevolence she had when she was a clerk.
"Unfilial son! I am truly an unfilial son!!! In a moment of impulsiveness, I lost my official job, was wanted by the court, and was forced to become an outlaw, a disgrace to my ancestors! I have already been disloyal to the Emperor, and now that my father has died, I cannot fulfill my duties as a son. This is unfilial. How am I any different from a beast for being so disloyal and unfilial!"
Song Jiang wept bitterly. The Confucian education he had received since childhood once again suppressed Zhuo Er's vicious instincts. He broke free from Wang Ying's embrace and kowtowed repeatedly towards the location of Song Family Village, until his head was torn open and bloody. He cried loudly.
Wang Ying and Shi Yong embraced her, exchanging bewildered glances. Song Jiang cried until he fainted, only regaining consciousness after a long while.
Shi Yong hurriedly advised, "Sister, don't hurt yourself!"
"It's okay, I'm fine."
Having recovered somewhat from the grief of losing his father, Song Jiang gave instructions to Wang Ying.
“It’s not that I’m heartless towards my brothers, but this old father is the only one I care about. Now that he has passed away, I have no choice but to rush back to attend his funeral. Tell my brothers to follow Liu Hong up the mountain.”
Wang Ying reluctantly agreed. Song Jiang charged back to Song Family Village alone, while Liu Hong led all the troops from Qingfeng Mountain back to Liangshan, increasing Liangshan's force from three thousand to five thousand. However, there were too many bandits who had committed arson, murder, and looting, some of whom were private soldiers of Hua Rong and Yan Shun. These people seemed out of place with the Liangshan army as soon as they arrived.
At this moment, Liangshan had already subtly split into three factions.
The first faction was led by Chao Gai, including Wu Yong, Gongsun Sheng, Liu Tang, the three Ruan brothers, and the second generation of Liangshan, including Bai Sheng, the White-Day Rat, who was rescued. They had more than a thousand men under their command, including all of Liangshan's navy.
This group of people are pure idealists, chivalrous thieves with a chaotic yet benevolent nature.
Chao Gai was clearly the most powerful landowner in Yuncheng, but instead of oppressing the villagers, she acted chivalrously and took great care of her tenants and servants. She was known as the "Little Mengchang of Shandong" and tried to create a utopian paradise on her own small plot of land.
After dismantling the ruling class in Shijie Village, the three Ruan brothers were too lazy to rebuild a new ruling structure, making them thorough anarchists.
Gongsun Sheng and Liu Tang, while both despising order, were not exactly evil. After joining Liangshan, they did not rob passing merchants, but only robbed ill-gotten gains like birthday gifts, which coincided with Liu Hong's idea of only robbing wealthy people and not harming ordinary people.
The second faction was led by Song Jiang, and included Hua Rong, Yan Shun, Wang Ying, Zheng Tianshou, and Shi Yong, representing the third generation of Liangshan. They commanded more than two thousand men and wielded considerable power.
This group's thinking was rather chaotic. Song Jiang had just made up his mind to become an outlaw, but then his father died, and his Confucian values took over, so he went home to attend the funeral. For a time, the group was leaderless. However, their underlying nature was that of a bandit who would do anything and risk everything.
Finally, and the largest faction, was led by Liu Hong, including Lin Chong, Yang Zhi, Suo Chao, Lü Fang, Guo Sheng, Zhu Gui, Song Wan, Du Qian, and others from the Liangshan generation, as well as Qin Ming and Huang Xin who joined later. They had over two thousand soldiers, but the tens of thousands of people on Liangshan were all dependent on Liu Hong.
They were also somewhat idealistic, like Chao Gai and others, wanting to create a utopia. However, Liu Hong's ambitions went far beyond simply creating a utopia, and were more practical than those of Chao Gai and others. This was because Liu Hong had a better understanding of the future and knew how to act and expand his power.
Chapter 208: Unexpected Disaster Hits Song Family Village
After bringing Song Jiang's direct followers up the mountain, Liu Hong rushed to Qingzhou to find his sister. The three factions of Liangshan were mutually restraining each other, so they wouldn't cause trouble for the time being. With Lin Chong and Qin Ming, two generals of the Five Tigers level, suppressing the situation, he was as stable as a rock. Finding his sister was more important.
At that moment, Song Jiang returned home and was just about to mourn when he found that everything in the manor was normal. There were no white wreaths at the door, no white hanging cloths on the door plaque, and the servants were not wearing mourning clothes. There was no sign that the head of the household had died.
When the servants reported that Song Jiang's third sister had returned, his fourth sister, Song Qing, nicknamed "Iron Fan," was seen waving a huge fan in one hand and supporting her father with the other, walking shakily out of the door. Song Jiang, who was overwhelmed with grief and on the verge of crying, was dumbfounded—what did this mean? My father wasn't dead?!
Song Jiang walked forward in disbelief, tossed aside his short staff, and went straight into the thatched cottage. He saw Song Qing bowing to her brother. She looked about 80% like Song Jiang, but had more Han Chinese genes, so even though she was younger than Song Jiang, she was already an adult. She was tall and sexy, with a mature and charming face. Her violet skin had a unique exotic allure, and as she swayed her beautiful legs, her large breasts trembled slightly.
When Song Jiang saw that his sister was not wearing mourning clothes and that their father was still alive, he was furious. This little girl pointed at Song Qing, who looked like a mature woman, and started yelling at her.
"You unfilial beast! You've deceived me so cruelly! What kind of logic is this?! Father is clearly not dead, so why did you write a book to mock me? You taught me two or three times how to commit suicide, and I fainted from crying every time! What an unfilial son you are! I'll beat you to death!!!"
"Sister! Don't do it! Listen to me!"
Song Qing hurriedly dodged the little girl, and Song Taigong also quickly stopped the fight between the two daughters.
"Song Jiang! Don't be anxious. This has nothing to do with your sister. It's because I think about seeing you every day, so I instructed Song Qing to write that I'm dead, so you'll return quickly!"
When Song Taigong roared out Song Jiang's name, Song Jiang's delicate body trembled: One of the most terrifying things in the world is when your parents call you by your full name in an unfriendly tone.
"You've forgotten all the benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness I taught you since you were little! Did you feed them to the dogs?! Look at the mess you've made at Qingfeng Mountain! You crushed Hua Rong's Qingfeng Camp in one battle, forcing Hua Rong to join you as an outlaw. In the second battle, you defeated Qin Ming's Qingzhou Camp! Have you gone mad? Becoming an outlaw is already a disgrace to our ancestors' illustrious name, it's unfilial. You twice defeated the imperial army, betraying the Zhao Emperor, it's disloyal. When did I ever teach you to be such an unfaithful and unfilial person?!"
These past few days, Song Jiang had been brimming with confidence and ambition, commanding thousands of bandits on Qingfeng Mountain. But his father's scolding shattered his spirit, and he began to waver again, questioning whether his decision to become a bandit had been too hasty. He fell silent for a moment, kneeling before his father, letting him continue his angry reprimand.
"Come back quickly! Luckily, my family has some connections in Qingzhou. I've already taken care of things for you. The official line now is that all these things were done by the bandits of Qingfeng Mountain! Jinmaohu Yan Shun turned Xiao Li Guang Hua Rong and Pili Huo Qin Ming against the Qing Dynasty. It has nothing to do with you."
Song Taigong, feeling utterly disappointed in Song Jiang, poked him in the back.
"Just stay home and hide. Don't run around outside. Your current crime is just accidentally killing a concubine who was like a sex slave, a prostitute who cheated on you. It's not serious at all. As long as the imperial court grants a general amnesty, you can still go back to the county government as a minor official. Just stop messing around!"
“Father’s words are right. I will listen to Father. In the few days I’ve been gone, have the officials come to harass Father?”
Song Jiang sighed. The madness and ambition in her eyes, under her father's repeated reprimands and the discipline of Confucian etiquette, were once again locked away in the darkness deep within her heart.
"You are sensible."
Song Taigong snorted coldly.
"When your brother Song Qing was not back, he received much help from Captains Zhu Tong and Lei Heng. After that, he only issued a warrant for a manhunt and never bothered us again. Guess why I'm calling you back now? I recently heard that the court has established a crown prince and issued an amnesty decree. Those who have committed serious crimes will have their sentences reduced by one degree. This has already been implemented everywhere. Just wait here and things will be over soon."
"Yes, Father. Have Chief Zhu and Chief Lei come to the manor?"
Song Jiang breathed a sigh of relief. He then began searching for his two friends.
"I heard the other day that these two have been promoted. Zhang Shuye, the prefect of Jizhou, has transferred Zhu Tong and Lei Heng to his command. Now, there are several new constables surnamed Zhang in the county."
Song Taigong casually recounted the recent personnel changes in Yuncheng.
“My son, you have traveled a long way and are covered in dust. Go to your room and rest for a while.”
Song Jiang accepted the order and returned to his room to rest, unaware that Yuncheng was undergoing tremendous changes in the past few days.
After serving for several months, Zhang Shuye had seen through the fact that Jizhou under his command had been thoroughly infiltrated by Liangshan. Not only were the people no longer loyal to Liangshan, but even the officials were taking money from Liangshan. Therefore, his first plan was to use the pretext of promotion to bring Zhu Tong, Lei Heng, and other constables who were colluding with Liangshan to his side and keep them under strict control, thus severing the connection between the local area and Liangshan.
Subsequently, leveraging his connections with Cai Jing and Gao Qiu in the imperial court, he began to place his clansmen and relatives in various corners of Jeju, especially in positions of military power such as defense commissioners and militia commanders.
The two newly arrived captains in Yuncheng were distant relatives of Zhang Shuye. Song Jiang was unaware that the head of the Yuncheng garrison was now Zhang Shuye's man, no longer loyal to him or Liangshan. Zhang Shuye's spies were also beginning to appear throughout Jizhou.
So, that very night, the two Zhang captains mustered their dozens of farmhands and personal guards, and led over a hundred bewildered soldiers from Yuncheng. An hour after Song Jiang returned home, they surrounded the Song family mansion, trapping Song Jiang with no way out. He was arrested by the authorities. It was only because the hundred soldiers pleaded for him that the two Zhang captains might have executed the entire Song family that very night.
So, while Liu Hong was in Peach Blossom Mountain meeting Tiger-Slaying General Li Zhong and Little Tyrant Zhou Tong, and learning about the whereabouts of his sister Lu Zhisheng, he received some surprising news from Liangshan: Song Jiang had been tattooed on the face and exiled to Jiangzhou. Leader Chao was discussing with everyone to rescue her and asked the leader to come back quickly to take charge of the overall situation.
"If you want to save him, then save him! Why are you asking me about such a small matter?! Right now, Liangshan has ten battalions and five thousand soldiers. Even if Zhang Shuye led the main force of Jizhou to attack, they wouldn't be a match for us. If Chao Gai and Lin Chong go together, do you think they can't save Song Jiang from a few constables?"
Liu Hong stared in disbelief at the messenger from Liangshan.
"Let Chao Gai handle this himself! Just say I support him, and don't bother me while I'm looking for my sister!"
Chapter 209: Zhisheng Returns Home from Erlong Mountain
During the months that Lu Zhisheng spent in Qingzhou after the teleportation error, she experienced many things. She knew the extent of her crime in helping Lin Chong escape from Tokyo, so she dared not go to densely populated county towns, fearing that she would be unconscious after getting drunk and be taken away and executed by a group of soldiers without any explanation. Therefore, she only dared to wander from village to village, continuing her life, begging for alms, spreading Buddhism, eating when hungry, sleeping when full, and swinging her hundred-pound monk's staff to smash things when she encountered injustice.
For a time, a lot of strange rumors circulated widely in Qingzhou. Some believers said that a living Buddha had descended upon Qingzhou, acting chivalrously and fighting for justice.
Some people say: A bandit has come to Qingzhou, robbing the rich to help the poor and killing evil people.
Some monks also said: A monk who broke the precepts came to Qingzhou. He indulged in eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling, and did not abide by any of the rules and regulations.
Some bandits even said: "A tigress has come to Qingzhou and keeps causing trouble for the bandits. What's most infuriating is that she is neither a government soldier nor a mercenary. She was just given a bowl of vegetarian food by a villager, and she dared to swing a hundred-pound monk's staff and beat up the mountain gate!"
桃花山的小霸王周通，那都不算是强抢民女，正儿八经的下聘礼，抬花轿，想要取当地一个富农的女儿，结果就因为他不同意，给了这花尼姑几碗饭，结果小霸王周通那叫被揍的一个凄惨！事后还逼的人家小霸王给她赔礼道歉。
Regardless, based on these rumors, Liu Hong sketched out an extremely familiar image—a tall, bald nun with large breasts and a plump bottom, her snow-white skin adorned with clusters of flowers, none other than Lu Zhisheng herself.
Following these clues, Liu Hong wandered left and right, and finally found his sister at the hotel of Cao Zheng, the wielder of the knife, at the foot of Erlong Mountain.
"Senior sister! I've finally found you!"
Upon stepping through the threshold, a very familiar back immediately caught Liu Hong's eye. He was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. When Lu Zhisheng saw Liu Hong, she was also startled and stood up in surprise. After confirming that this was her junior brother, her delicate body trembled involuntarily, and her carefree expression gradually turned into excitement. She rushed over and hugged Liu Hong tightly, making him feel as if he had bumped into two extremely soft mounds of flesh.