At this time, Liangshan was not the Liangshan of Chao Gai and Song Jiang's era, and the small fry they recruited were just a motley crew. After Wang Xuan killed twenty or thirty bandits, the other bandits all hid far away, showing a tendency to flee at the first sign of trouble.
"Wang Lun, I told you to give me the position of chieftain, but you refused and insisted on taking it from me myself." Wang Xuan strode towards Wang Lun, these bandits were no match for him.
Wang Lun was already terrified, but he still tried to remain calm and shouted, "Where are the archers?!"
The doors of the Hall of Righteousness swung open, and a dozen archers rushed in, unleashing a hail of arrows at Wang Xuan.
If it were anyone else, even if they had reached the eighth level of the Acquired Realm like Wang Xuan, they would only be able to temporarily avoid the sharp edge of these powerful bows and crossbows.
But Wang Xuan was different. The seemingly ordinary white robe he wore was called the Heavenly Silkworm Robe, which was woven from the silk of thousand-year-old ice silkworms. Its grade had reached the level of a top-grade magic weapon. How could these ordinary arrows possibly break through its defenses?
Without even glancing at the archers, he pulled at the collar of his Heavenly Silkworm Robe, revealing a hood as thin as an insect's wing, which covered his head completely.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Most of the dozen or so arrows fired by the archers struck Wang Xuan's back, but they only made a series of crisp sounds before falling to the ground, unable to break through the Heavenly Silkworm Armor's defense.
"Impossible! How could you be invulnerable to swords and spears?!" With all his backup plans failing to work, Wang Lun finally broke down and turned to run away.
But how could Wang Xuan let him leave like that? He rushed forward in a few strides, kicked Wang Lun to the ground, and stared at him coldly.
"I'll say it again, I want to be the leader of Liangshan Marsh. Who agrees? Who objects?" Wang Xuan glanced at the bandits around him and asked domineeringly and arrogantly.
Du Qian and Song Wan exchanged a glance. Having witnessed Wang Xuan's martial prowess, how could they dare to object?
As for Zhu Gui, he wasn't valued by Wang Lun and therefore wasn't very loyal to him. Now that Wang Xuan wanted to seize Liangshan by force, if Zhu Gui chose the wrong side, he might face death. Therefore, he said without hesitation, "Since Young Master Wang wants to be the leader of Liangshan, then Wang Lun should naturally step down!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Lun was furious and roared, "Where are all my trusted confidants?"
Wang Xuan said irritably, "Don't you, Wang Lun, have any self-awareness? You're unpopular, you don't have many trusted men in the whole stronghold, and I just killed them all."
Wang Lun's eyes rolled back and he fainted, whether from anger or fear, it was unclear.
Wang Xuan walked to Wang Lun's side and gently kicked him twice, but the other party did not react at all, obviously he had really fainted.
At this moment, Du Qian and Song Wan suddenly spoke up: "Young Master Wang, we are willing to be recognized as the leaders of Liangshan Marsh, we only hope that you will spare Wang Lun's life!"
Chapter Fifteen: The White-Clad Sword Saint
"Are you going to plead for Wang Lun?" Wang Xuan looked at Du Qian and Song Wan with a playful expression, making them feel uneasy.
To everyone's surprise, Wang Xuan then said, "I never intended to kill Wang Lun, so you can rest assured."
That's right, Wang Xuan really didn't intend to kill Wang Lun. To seize Wang Lun's life's work and then try to kill him—such a despicable act, how could Wang Xuan possibly do it?
Wang Xuan is destined to become the Dao Ancestor, and he doesn't want to leave such a stain on his reputation.
Moreover, his role as the leader of Liangshan was merely a hobby; he might relinquish the position after a while, so there was no need to go to such lengths to consolidate his power.
Besides, Du Qian and Song Wan were Wang Lun's trusted confidants who had followed him for many years. If Wang Xuan killed Wang Lun, they would not say it on the surface, but they would definitely harbor resentment in their hearts.
If Wang Xuan simply wanted to be a bandit leader, he could have done what Chao Gai did and marginalized Du Qian and Song Wan. But what he was after was fortune. If they were willing to become his disciples, harvesting their fortune would be much easier. Conversely, if they harbored resentment, even if a master-disciple relationship was established, harvesting their fortune would require considerable effort.
Upon hearing that Wang Xuan had spared Wang Lun's life, Du Qian and Song Wan both thanked Wang Xuan.
Over the next few days, Wang Xuan began a sweeping reorganization of Liangshan. Winning over the hearts of everyone on Liangshan was easier than he had imagined.
To put it bluntly, Liangshan today was just a bandit stronghold that robbed and plundered, unlike the Liangshan of later generations that raised the banner of "acting on behalf of Heaven" and gathered heroes from all sides.
Since they were bandits, naturally whoever had the biggest fist was the boss. Unfortunately, Wang Xuan's martial arts skills were already unmatched in the world. Anyone who dared to jump out and cause trouble would be dealt with by Wang Xuan using his fists.
After defeating all the bandits in the stronghold, Wang Xuan took Du Qian, Song Wan, and Zhu Gui as his disciples, passed on parts of the "Ziyang True Explanation" to them, and made each of them lead a small group of followers, becoming the leaders of the stronghold.
It's worth mentioning that Wang Lun, whether completely subdued by Wang Xuan or temporarily biding his time to launch a surprise attack, has now become Wang Xuan's trusted strategist, the former leader of Liangshan.
After restoring order to Liangshan, Wang Xuan couldn't stay idle. He knew that many heroes, all possessing great fortune, were hidden along the eight hundred li of marshland!
For example, the three Ruan brothers who made a living by fishing in the marshland, and Chao Gai, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, and Wu Yong, the Strategist, from Dongxi Village not far away, and even the thick-skinned and ruthless Song Jiang, the Timely Rain, all lived near this marshland.
“That Black Song Jiang is obsessed with officialdom. He’s currently a clerk in Yuncheng County and is highly regarded by the magistrate, so people call him Clerk Song. It’s impossible to get him to come to Liangshan and become an outlaw. Even persuading him to become my disciple won’t be easy. He’s a scholar at heart and doesn’t have much interest in wielding weapons.” After thinking for a while, Wang Xuan ruled out Black Song Jiang first.
That guy was thick-skinned, black-hearted, and lazy. Even though he later received the inheritance of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden, he didn't achieve anything remarkable. To put it bluntly, it was because he was lazy!
"Fine, when Song Jiang commits a crime and writes that rebellious poem, he'll naturally be served up." Wang Xuan quickly made his decision and decided to leave Song Jiang alone.
"Let's try to win over the three Ruan brothers first. Chao Gai is, after all, a big landowner. Although I'm confident I can subdue him and take him as my disciple, he probably won't come to Liangshan with me. The three Ruan brothers are different. They've fallen on hard times and are reduced to fishing for a living. They're not so opposed to the bandit life of drinking from large bowls and eating large chunks of meat."
Wang Xuan immediately summoned Zhu Gui and asked him to arrange a covered boat to accompany him to Shijie Village to visit the three Ruan brothers.
The awning boat rowed on the water for about half an hour before finally docking at the shore.
With a group of local henchmen leading the way, Wang Xuan and Zhu Gui followed behind, heading straight for Shijie Village.
Upon entering Shijie Village, Wang Xuan inquired about the residence of the three Ruan brothers from passing villagers.
Although the three Ruan brothers lived in poverty, making a living by fishing, they were incredibly skilled in the water. Therefore, they were quite famous in Shijie Village, considered the leaders of the fishermen. Finding out where they lived was relatively easy; most of the villagers knew them.
Following the villagers' directions, Wang Xuan and his group headed straight for Ruan Xiaoer's house.
When they arrived at Ruan Xiaoer's house, without Wang Xuan's instruction, Zhu Gui called out, "Is Brother Ruan home?"
Soon, Ruan Xiaoer came out of the house. He was wearing a tattered headscarf, an old coat, and was barefoot. He looked at Wang Xuan and the others.
Compared to Ruan Xiaoer's poverty, Zhu Gui wore a nearly new Shu brocade robe, while Erxuan wore a silkworm robe, appearing noble yet not extravagant.
Ruan Xiaoer's gaze finally settled on Wang Xuan, and he asked cautiously, "I am Ruan Xiaoer. May I ask what business this young master has with me?"
Here I am, watch me show off!
Wang Xuan exuded an aura of dominance and proudly declared, "We come from Liangshan Marsh..."
Before Wang Xuan could finish speaking, Ruan Xiaoer suddenly realized. Yes, this young master before him, dressed in white robes and possessing a refined air, was most likely the leader of Liangshan Marsh!
"So it's the white-robed scholar Wang Lun in person! My apologies for not recognizing you!" Ruan Xiaoer quickly flattered.
Wang Xuan looked up at the sky, his face full of gloom, and squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth: "I am not Wang Lun! That scoundrel Wang Lun knows that he is mediocre and has already resigned from his position as the leader of Liangshan Marsh and handed over the position to me!"
"What?!" Ruan Xiaoer was greatly surprised upon hearing this.
Unexpectedly, this seemingly amiable young master actually seized Wang Lun's business empire; he must be a ruthless person.
"May I ask your name, young master?" Ruan Xiaoer asked again.
"A name? Yes, now that I'm in the martial world, I naturally need a powerful and imposing title." After a moment's thought, Wang Xuan glanced at the sword at his waist and said, "I am Wang Xuan, the White-Clad Sword Saint!"
"What?! The White-Clad Sword Saint?!" Before Ruan Xiaoer could say anything, Zhu Guixian exclaimed in surprise, "Chief, don't you use a knife?"
He clearly remembered that his chieftain was incredibly fierce when he wielded his broadsword, practically unstoppable. So why did he have the nickname "White-Clad Sword Saint"?
"What do you know?" Wang Xuan said arrogantly, "A scholar who can't wield a broadsword is not a good swordsman."
Ruan Xiaoer: "..."
Zhu Gui: "I don't understand!"
Wang Xuan said irritably, "That's fine if you don't understand. All you need to know is that I'm better with a sword than with a knife!"
Chapter Sixteen: The Three Heroes of the Nguyen Family
Wang Xuan gave himself the title of White-Clad Sword Saint, but Ruan Xiao'er didn't care. He was more concerned about why Wang Xuan had come looking for him.
It's well known that bandits roamed the Liangshan Marsh, while the villagers of Jieshi Village made their living by fishing, and minor conflicts frequently arose between the two groups. The three Ruan brothers were the leaders of the fishermen in Jieshi Village, so naturally they were somewhat wary of Wang Xuan and his companions.
"I wonder what brings Chief Wang to my humble abode?" Ruan Xiaoer inquired.
Wang Xuan exuded an aura of dominance and said boldly, "In the past, Liangshan was in charge of Wang Lun. That guy had no tolerance for others, but his own abilities were also mediocre, which is why Liangshan never developed."
"Now that I have seized the position of leader of Liangshan, I will naturally carry out sweeping reforms and recruit heroes from all directions."
"I have long heard that the three Ruan brothers of Jieshi Village are like dragons of the water, so I have come to pay you a special visit and invite you three brothers to sit on a chair on the mountain. We can all divide the gold by weight, drink wine from large bowls, and eat meat in large chunks. How does that sound?"
Regardless of whether Wang Xuan actually possessed the legendary aura of a king, he directly offered benefits, promising that if the three Ruan brothers joined Liangshan, they could immediately take a seat, that is, become one of the leaders of Liangshan.
It's important to know that Liangshan Marsh had a total of seven or eight hundred men, making it the largest mountain stronghold in the surrounding counties. Becoming the leader of Liangshan meant earning a fortune every day!
This promise was undoubtedly very tempting for the impoverished Ruan Xiaoer. However, since Wang Xuan had invited the three brothers, he couldn't make the decision himself and had to discuss it with his two younger brothers.
"Please wait here for a moment, Chief Wang. I will go and fetch my two younger brothers to pay their respects to you," Ruan Xiao'er said somewhat nervously.
Wang Xuan naturally had no objections, because he was confident that he could handle the three Ruan brothers.
With Wu Yong's empty words alone, he was able to persuade the three Ruan brothers to risk their lives to rob the birthday tribute. Now that Wang Xuan has shown sincerity, there's no worry that they won't take the bait.
Ruan Xiaoer apologized to Wang Xuan and hurriedly left. Not long after, he returned, accompanied by two young men.
Like Ruan Xiaoer, these two men were dressed in coarse cloth short clothes, revealing their strong muscles and making them look extremely fierce.
Without Ruan Xiaoer's introduction, Wang Xuan could guess that the two must be Ruan Xiaowu and Ruan Xiaoqi.
Sure enough, Ruan Xiaoer introduced to Wang Xuan: "Chief Wang, these are my two younger brothers. The one on the left is Ruan Xiaowu, and the one on the right is Ruan Xiaoqi."
Then he introduced his two younger brothers: "This is Wang Xuan, the White-Clad Sword Saint, the new leader of Liangshan! Leader Wang is diligent and capable, far superior to the likes of Wang Lun. He wants to invite us to Liangshan to join the righteous cause. I wonder what your plans are, my two brothers?"
When Ruan Xiaoer introduced Wang Xuan, his words were full of flattery, which revealed his true thoughts.
Ruan Xiaoqi said happily, "A person's life is short, like grass and trees in autumn. Instead of making a living by fishing and living an unknown life, why don't we brothers follow Chief Wang to Liangshan, where we can divide gold and silver by weight, wear fine silks, drink wine from jars, and eat meat in big chunks? How can we not be happy?"
Ruan Xiaowu also said, "I often think that even if the three of us brothers have some skills, if we make a living by fishing all our lives, how many people will know us? Why not follow Chief Wang to Liangshan, make a name for ourselves, and let the heroes of the world know the abilities of the three of us brothers!"
"It's settled!" Wang Xuan was overjoyed upon hearing this. These three Ruan brothers were indeed terrified of poverty. They didn't reject the bandit life of drinking from large bowls and eating large chunks of meat; in fact, they even longed for it.
After whispering a few more words, the three brothers bowed deeply to Wang Xuan and shouted, "Ruan Xiao Er (Ruan Xiao Wu, Ruan Xiao Qi) greets the chieftain!"
Wang Xuan quickly helped them all up, waved his sleeves, and said, "No need for formalities, you three. From now on, you will be the leaders of Liangshan Marsh. We, Liangshan Marsh, plan to train a navy, and you three brothers will be in charge of this matter."
For bandits in a place like Liangshan Marsh, a navy was undoubtedly very important. With a powerful navy, they could rely on the eight hundred li of waterways to keep the government's forces that came to suppress them outside the marsh, allowing them to attack or defend as needed.
In the original storyline, this is how Liangshan unfolded. Initially, the government came to besiege them, and Liangshan suffered many losses. However, as long as they retreated back to their stronghold, the government was helpless. Meanwhile, Liangshan could calmly devise ways to specifically thwart the imperial army's offensive.
The three Ruan brothers were overjoyed to find that they would be able to lead an army on their own so soon after joining Liangshan.
Ruan Xiaoqi was the most active, and he shamelessly asked, "Brother Chieftain, how many men are there in our navy?"
Zhu Gui, listening nearby, couldn't help but smile strangely. It seemed that there were less than a hundred people in Liangshan who could row boats and swim, and even Chief Wang himself was a complete landlubber.
Wang Xuan's face twitched, and he said awkwardly, "The Liangshan Navy has just been established, and there aren't many people who can swim. I see that most of the people in your Jieshi Village are fishermen who make a living by fishing. Why don't you recruit a group of young men from Jieshi Village to expand the size of the navy?"
Wang Xuan took a packet of loose silver from Zhu Gui and handed it to Ruan Xiaoqi. This was originally intended as a resettlement allowance for the three Ruan brothers, but now it had become capital to attract fishermen.
The three Nguyen brothers were quite reliable. By the time they left, they had gathered around them twenty or thirty small boats and nearly a hundred men who were good swimmers.