At this moment, Wang Xuan had almost no weaknesses. He drew his magic sword from his waist and charged into the roadside woods.
With the Heavenly Silkworm Armor attached to him, even against a massive army, Wang Xuan could fight his way in and out seven times. He was practically a reincarnation of Zhao Zilong of Changshan!
"Kill!" Wang Xuan lunged into the woods, his sword flashing like a silver dragon, instantly slicing two or three figures in half. Only then did he have a chance to observe the enemy hiding in the shadows.
What he saw truly surprised him.
Wang Xuan initially thought that the ambush was carried out by government troops, but to his surprise, the group of people were dressed as ordinary peasants and were not as well-trained as the imperial army.
Without a doubt, this was just a group of local militia. Perhaps Wang Xuan and his group had been discovered on their way here, so they deliberately set up an ambush on the way and launched a surprise attack when Wang Xuan and his group returned.
"How dare these mere village thugs ambush our Liangshan army? Disciples, follow your master and slaughter these bastards!" Wang Xuan shouted, his voice carrying beyond the woods, which calmed the chaos within the Liangshan army.
After all, being ambushed by the imperial army is completely different from being ambushed by untrained peasants. These bandits are not afraid of mere local militia.
The three Ruan brothers, Du Qian, Song Wan, and others led their men in a counterattack and quickly stormed into the woods.
Just as Wang Xuan had cut down a dozen or so local militiamen and was about to retreat, a loud shout suddenly came from ahead: "Traitor, stop your violence! Take a blow from my stick, Chao Gai!"
Before he could finish speaking, a burly man wielding a heavy iron rod came crashing down on Wang Xuan.
That iron rod weighed at least fifty or sixty pounds, and the person who struck it was also born with superhuman strength. Therefore, the power of that strike was extremely terrifying. Even a stone would be shattered if it were hit!
"I never expected this person to be Chao Gai! It was Chao Gai who ambushed me! But Chao Gai is just a reckless man; he wouldn't have come up with this ambush plan. It was probably his strategist Wu Yong who devised the plan for him!" Wang Xuan's mind raced, and he quickly figured out many things.
However, even though he was distracted, his hands did not stop moving at all.
He swung his sword down at the iron rod, and with a crisp metallic clang, the rod was cleaved in two!
Wang Xuan's sword truly lived up to its reputation as a magical artifact. Even though it was only a low-grade magical artifact, it was still a divine weapon capable of cutting through iron like mud.
Before Chao Gai could recover from the shock of his iron rod, which was as thick as his arm, being cleaved in two by someone else's knife, Wang Xuan had already closed in and brought down a powerful slash.
Chao Gai had no choice but to drag the broken iron rod to resist, and the already cut iron rod shortened even further.
After two or three strikes, the iron rod in Chao Gai's hand was only about a foot long, and Wang Xuan no longer held back. He turned his sword, changing from slashing to a horizontal strike, and the blade struck Chao Gai's back, sending him flying. Chao Gai lay on the ground for a long time, unable to get up.
"Someone come here, tie this guy up!" Wang Xuan shouted, stepping on the man's back.
After the Liangshan army stormed into the woods, they quickly routed the local militia. Because the situation on the battlefield was so favorable, as soon as Wang Xuan gave his orders, two squads immediately withdrew and captured Chao Gai, binding him hand and foot.
Most of the men Chao Gai brought to ambush Wang Xuan were his retainers, with a smaller number having come to join him out of admiration. Now that Chao Gai, their leader, had been captured, the others had no will to resist and surrendered without hesitation.
On the outermost edge of the battlefield, a scholar dressed in coarse linen clothes was tiptoeing away. Needless to say, this person was none other than the strategist Wu Yong.
Wang Xuan was sharp-eyed and keen-eared, and he was deliberately observing his surroundings. How could he let Wu Yong, that weakling, escape?
He casually tossed the scabbard in his hand, and the scabbard, accompanied by a whooshing sound, struck Wu Yong's leg directly, knocking him to the ground.
The battle came suddenly and ended quickly.
Wang Xuan brought Chao Gai and Wu Yong before him and interrogated them. Chao Gai was naturally resolute and unyielding, but Wu Yong was extremely afraid of death and answered whatever Wang Xuan asked.
It turns out that there was a reason why Chao Gai ambushed Wang Xuan and his men.
Because Zhu Tong and Lei Heng, the two constables, were framed by Wang Xuan and sentenced to immediate execution, the county magistrate had no one else to use, so he conscripted Chao Gai and appointed him as a constable.
At the same time, Magistrate Shi Wenbin also ordered Chao Gai to garrison Dongxi Village and recruit local militia so that they could defend against the Liangshan bandits should they invade again. For this purpose, Shi Wenbin also gave Chao Gai a crossbow.
"I just forced that bastard Song Jiang to Liangshan, and then I captured Chao Gai. If you add Wang Lun under my command, all three leaders of Liangshan in the original story are now in my hands." Thinking of this, the gloom on Wang Xuan's face disappeared.
He ordered his men to clean up the battlefield as soon as possible, and then, with Chao Gai, Wu Yong, and a group of prisoners under his control, headed towards Liangshan.
Nothing unexpected happened along the way, and they arrived safely at the edge of the lake, where the mountain stronghold's navy was already waiting in small boats on the shore.
They crossed the 800-li marshland by boat and returned to Liangshan. The soldiers dispersed, while Wang Xuan summoned several leaders of the stronghold for a meeting.
Chapter Twenty-Four: Song Jiang Joins the Gang
Once everyone had arrived, Wang Xuan pointed to Song Jiang, Zhu Tong, and Lei Heng, and said, "This is Song Jiang, Song Gongming. As for the other two, they were originally constables from Yuncheng County, and I believe everyone recognizes them. From now on, they are members of our Liangshan!"
The leaders hurriedly came over to greet them.
Zhu Tong and Lei Heng were one thing, but although they were the head constables of Yuncheng County, they had no reputation in the martial arts world, and the bandits didn't have much interest in them.
But Song Jiang has a great reputation in the Jianghu. He is known as the timely rain and the protector of justice in Shandong. Who here does not know him?
Take the three Ruan brothers, for example. When they met Song Jiang, they acted as if they were fans meeting their idol. Their fervor was so great that it even made Wang Xuan a little uneasy.
Although the former leaders of Liangshan, such as Du Qian, Song Wan, Zhu Gui, and Wang Lun, did not idolize Song Jiang as fervently as the three Ruan brothers, they still held considerable goodwill towards him.
Undoubtedly, this was also due to the immense fortune emanating from Song Jiang. Although everyone present was a hero of Liangshan, possessing considerable fortune, they were still suppressed by Song Jiang's alone, which distorted their senses.
"No, this Song Jiang is too terrifying. Before we weaken his luck to a certain extent, we should keep him away for now." Wang Xuan's face remained expressionless, but in his heart, he once again added Song Jiang to his list.
"Gentlemen, our second attack on Yuncheng County to rescue Song Jiang has exceeded the government's tolerance limit. I believe the government's encirclement army will arrive soon, and we need to prepare in advance!" Wang Xuan stated the problem that Liangshan was now facing.
As Song Jiang's number one fan, Ruan Xiaoqi immediately stepped forward and said, "Master, Brother Song Gongming is a renowned hero in the Jianghu. Even if Liangshan is besieged by the government, it would be worth it to save his life!"
Ruan Xiaoer also said, "That's right, we Liangshan have saved Song Jiang, so let the government army come at us! With eight hundred li of marshland, we are invincible!"
"..." Song Jiang looked up at the sky speechlessly. This really wasn't his fault! Even if he, Song Gongming, was exiled to Cangzhou, he could still eat and drink well and make a comeback in no time. He could even live a more comfortable life than before.
It's clearly you bandits who insist on blaming me, Song Jiang! You've already forced me to Liangshan, and you still want to keep blaming me? That's going too far!
Wang Xuan completely ignored what Song Jiang was thinking. Although the three Ruan brothers were die-hard fans of Song Jiang, they weren't mind readers, so how could they know what Song Jiang was thinking?
After introducing themselves, Wang Xuan was about to make some arrangements for Song Jiang and the other two newcomers to the mountain.
"Zhu Tong and Lei Heng, you were originally the head constables of Yuncheng County and have experience leading troops, so let's make you deputy captains for now."
When Wang Xuan reorganized the Liangshan army, there were still two vacant captain and two vice captain positions. Now, Zhu Tong and Lei Heng were placed in the vice captain positions, at the same level as Du Qian and Song Wan.
"As for Song Jiang," Wang Xuan paused deliberately, glancing at Song Jiang out of the corner of his eye, and couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
It turns out that although Song Jiang appeared to be indifferent on the surface, he was actually experiencing great emotional fluctuations and had a kind of inexplicable excitement.
Song Jiang was unaware that Wang Xuan was secretly observing him. At this moment, he was thinking to himself, "With the reputations of Zhu Tong and Lei Heng, they were able to secure a deputy captain position at Liangshan. With my great reputation, Song Gongming, surely I should at least be given a captain position?"
Although Song Jiang had just arrived at Liangshan, he had already learned a lot of information from the three Ruan brothers, such as the organization of the Liangshan army.
The entire Liangshan stronghold only has two army battalions, one navy battalion, and one reconnaissance unit. If Song Jiang could control one army battalion and turn his three staunch supporters—the three Ruan brothers—to his side, he would have a great chance of taking over Wang Xuan's position as the leader of Liangshan!
"Didn't you, Wang Xuan, try every means to force me to join Liangshan? Then I'll do as you wish. Even if I become a bandit, I'll be the biggest bandit leader!" Song Jiang sneered inwardly. "Actually, becoming a bandit isn't necessarily a bad way out. Just like those ten military governors back then, if they wanted to be officials, they would kill officials, set fires, and then accept amnesty!"
But he waited and waited, but the captain position he longed for never came. Instead, Wang Xuan said in a very generous manner, "As the saying goes, 'An army cannot move until its supplies are ready.' Logistics is of paramount importance to any army."
"Brother Song Jiang, the heavy responsibility of raising provisions is now entrusted to you. I'm sure you won't let me down, will you?" As he spoke, Wang Xuan even showed an expression that said, "I have high hopes for you."
"How is this possible?! Wang Xuan went to great lengths to force me to join Liangshan, shouldn't he value me highly and want to entrust me with important responsibilities? How could he assign me a sinecure?!" Song Jiang was immediately shocked and even began to doubt his own existence.
If it were the imperial army, or even rebels with a base of operations, managing provisions would be a lucrative position. But Liangshan is now just a bandit stronghold; they have no ability to produce their own food. When they run out of food, they simply go down the mountain to rob. They have no need for anyone to manage provisions.
To put it bluntly, Wang Xuan simply arranged a sinecure for Song Jiang, so that he could keep Wang Lun company.
"What's wrong, Brother Song Jiang? Are you not satisfied with this arrangement?" Wang Xuan asked, feigning surprise, when Song Jiang didn't reply for a while.
Song Jiang forced a smile, and despite the despair in his heart, he still replied calmly, "The chieftain entrusted me with the management of the entire stronghold's provisions. He trusts me so much, and I will never betray his trust!"
Wang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.
Whether Song Jiang is satisfied or not, Wang Xuan will never allow Song Jiang to control the military. He is currently trying every means to weaken Song Jiang's fortune, and if Song Jiang were to gain control of another battalion, Song Jiang's fortune would likely flourish even more.
After arranging things for Song Jiang and the others, the next step was to deal with the prisoners.
Wang Xuan waved his hand, and soon a squad of infantrymen brought over three men.
Two of them are Chao Gai and Wu Yong, and the other is also one of the 108 heroes of Liangshan, namely Liu Tang, the Red-Haired Devil.
In the previous ambush, Liu Tang was surrounded and attacked by the three Ruan brothers. He was captured after only a few moves, so Wang Xuan didn't notice him. It wasn't until they returned to the mountain stronghold and questioned him carefully that Wang Xuan found him.
"Chao Gai, I have long admired your name, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King. Even I must praise you as a hero. But we Liangshan have no grudge against you, so why do you become a lackey of the government and oppose us?" Wang Xuan ignored Wu Yong and Liu Tang and went straight to Chao Gai.
Chapter Twenty-Five: Chao Gai's Return to the Heart
"I, Chao Gai, have been appointed as a constable by the magistrate of Yuncheng County. I am an official, and you are bandits. What reason do I need to attack you?" Chao Gai glared at the crowd and shouted, "A true man can be killed but not humiliated. If you want to kill me, then go ahead and do it!"
Although he had become a prisoner, Chao Gai was not as panicked as Wu Yong and Liu Tang.
Chao Gai, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, held his head high, neither humble nor arrogant, valuing integrity and disregarding life and death, which made people admire him.
"Excellent! I've long heard that Chao Baozheng of Dongxi Village is a formidable man, but meeting him today proves that he is even more impressive than I've heard!" Everyone in the Hall of Righteousness cheered for Chao Gai.
"Chao Gai, I can let bygones be bygones for your attack on our Liangshan army. How about you join our Liangshan and become a leader?" Wang Xuan looked at Chao Gai with admiration and immediately offered his services.
Although Chao Gai was not one of the 108 heroes of Liangshan, his luck was definitely above most of the Liangshan heroes, second only to Song Jiang, and about the same as the second-ranked Jade Kirin Lu Junyi.
The reason why his name is not among the 108 heroes of Liangshan is entirely because he died too young and did not live to be among the first to be granted amnesty by the imperial court.
Throughout his life, Chao Gai's reputation in the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world) was no less than that of Song Jiang in the beginning. When Chao Gai was about to rob the birthday gifts, the Seven Stars of Righteousness immediately gathered, and people with great fortune, such as the strategist Wu Yong, the Cloud Dragon Gongsun Sheng, and the three Ruan brothers, all came from all directions to join him.
When Chao Gai arrived at Liangshan, he immediately seized Wang Lun's position, and Lin Chong, the chief instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards, became his henchman. He even turned a small mountain stronghold of a few hundred men into a band of tens of thousands of men, becoming the overlord of the Shandong outlaws!
In truth, Chao Gai was the true founder of Liangshan. Song Jiang's later ability to lead the Liangshan army to conquer cities and strongholds was entirely based on the foundation laid by Chao Gai.
If it weren't for his great fortune, how could Chao Gai have had such a smooth life? Looking at the first half of "Water Margin", Chao Gai can almost be called the protagonist, until Song Jiang joined Liangshan, and everything changed.
Song Jiang's luck was too extraordinary; how could he remain subservient to someone else for long? Although Chao Gai's luck was also very strong, he couldn't suppress Song Jiang, and thus was ultimately killed by Song Jiang's luck...
"If I could also take Chao Gai as my disciple, the fortune I would gain would be quite considerable." Having already spoken the words of recruitment, Wang Xuan quietly looked at Chao Gai, waiting for his reply.
Chao Gai was a man of honor, not one to be afraid of death, and he immediately refused.
Wang Xuan, observing Chao Gai's expression, continued before Chao Gai could refuse, "Brother Chao, you are certainly not afraid of death, but you also need to consider your brothers."
The implication of this statement is that if you dare to refuse, they will kill your good buddies Wu Yong and Liu Tang along with you.
With Wu Yong's cunning, how could he not understand Wang Xuan's implied meaning? He was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat and turned pale. He quickly went to Yao Gai's side and began to persuade him in a low voice.
Wu Yong had been Chao Gai's strategist for many years, and his words still had a significant effect on Chao Gai, who immediately became hesitant.
Wang Xuan then added insult to injury: "Chao Gai, do you still have any relatives? After I kill you, I can send your body back home."
"You, Chao Gai, have been wandering the Jianghu for many years. Although you have made a great name for yourself, you have also offended many people. While you are alive, naturally no one dares to provoke you. But if you die here, someone might take revenge on your family."
Chao Gai felt a chill run down his spine. Although Wang Xuan hadn't said it outright, he knew very well that Wang Xuan, the leader of Liangshan, was among those he had offended.
Now that Wang Xuan, the bandit leader, has his sights set on him, will his family have a good ending?
The other leaders in the Hall of Righteousness couldn't stand it any longer, and Ruan Xiaoqi quickly came out to plead: "Master, Chao Baozheng is also a good man, why don't we let him go?"