The Setting Sun Over Liangshan Marsh: A Dream of Nanke Comes to an End

Song Jiang frowned, then relaxed and laughed loudly, "These guys really don't know the meaning of death! Fine! Today's a good day to train the troops!"

Song Jiang said to Liu Tang, "Leave thirty brothers behind, and the rest of you, a hundred men, take your weapons and come with me to see which band of thieves dares to be so reckless!"

Liu Tang quickly led a hundred rookies running over in an orderly fashion!

Song Jiang looked at the rookies and shouted, "Someone is attacking Liangshan! What do you suggest we do?"

The crowd shouted, "Destroy them! Destroy them!"

Song Jiang nodded and said, "This is your first battle since joining Liangshan, and it's also a test of your daily training. I hope to see you all standing here safely!"

The crowd continued to shout, "Yes!"

Song Jiang grabbed a steel saber and shouted, "Everyone, pick up your weapons and follow me to meet the enemy!"

The newbies got excited and picked up their steel knives, full of fighting spirit!

On the golden sand beach, a group of people dressed in tattered clothes were walking slowly. There were about two hundred of them, including men, women, and children. Some of them were carrying hoes, some were carrying sickles, and some were carrying sticks or even tree branches as weapons. Their expressions were numb, as if they had lost hope in life, but occasionally a glimmer of hope would shine in their eyes!

Song Jiang walked over with Chao Gai, Liu Tang, the three Ruan brothers, Wu Yong, and a hundred warriors!

This was Song Jiang's first real battle, and he had to win, and win spectacularly, so that everyone would know that their training hadn't been in vain. This would not only build confidence in the rookies but also set an example for others. "See? Join my Liangshan army, and we will be invincible, unstoppable, and no one can stand in our way. What can a thousand troops do? I will charge forward, and who can stand against me!"

The two groups stopped in front of the golden sand beach. A gentle breeze carrying the freshness of the lake blew slowly, which was very comfortable, but the chilling atmosphere made it hard to relax. The mournful cries of a flock of wild geese in the sky seemed to put another shackle on the heavy air!

Song Jiang, sitting in the center, looked at the group of people opposite him with amusement. To his left, Chao Gai gripped his steel knife tightly with a fierce aura, while to his right, Wu Yong fanned himself with a confident smile, as if everything was under his control!

The three Ruan brothers and Liu Tang were standing at the back with a hundred men, waiting for Song Jiang's order to rush over and kill one of their men!

Three people stepped out from the crowd opposite. The leader looked like a scholar, wearing a turban and a white robe. The other two were dressed as ordinary farmers, but they were much taller. One carried a steel knife and the other carried a spear. They were far superior to the group of scoundrels behind them and looked quite intimidating.

"Who are you, daring to invade Liangshan? Judging from your scholar's attire, you should be literate. Do you not know how to write the word 'death'?" Song Jiang shouted, pointing his knife at the other side.

The scholar-looking man was startled by the shout. He hadn't expected that Liangshan was actually occupied. He had been planning to settle down there, gather a group of followers, rob and plunder, eat meat and drink wine to his heart's content. How wonderful that would be! But now someone had beaten him to it. What should he do now?

His eyes darted around. He had come here to establish himself as a mountain king, so how could he be intimidated by a few words? Besides, he had more people than the other side, so he might as well test their strength. With that thought, the scholar said, "As the saying goes, the capable rise, the mediocre step aside, and the incompetent fall. This is especially true of Liangshan, a treasure land that naturally belongs to the capable. If you know what's good for you, you can join us and share in our wealth. If you don't want to join, you can leave now, and we won't make things difficult for you."

Song Jiang was amused by these shameless words. Don't misunderstand, he was genuinely amused and not angry at all!

Shaking his head, Song Jiang raised his hand and said, "Brothers!"

Seeing that Song Jiang wouldn't be intimidated by him, the scholar quickly said, "Your Majesty, please wait and hear me!"

If it were anyone else, Song Jiang wouldn't have listened to his nonsense and would have attacked them long ago. But this scholar had repeatedly amused him, and could be considered his source of happiness. Song Jiang wanted to see what other funny things he could say to make him happy, so he lowered his raised hand!

The scholar hurriedly said, "I see that Your Majesty's forces are not many. We are willing to lead everyone to join Your Majesty. We only hope that Your Majesty will accept us. We will serve you like cattle and horses to repay Your Majesty's kindness!" In his heart, however, he was thinking that if this short, dark man agreed, he could lead him to gradually conquer the Liangshan. When the time was right, he could take over the Liangshan and then be in charge of the Liangshan.

His thoughts were beautiful, but reality was cruel. Song Jiang had no intention of listening to his endless rambling anymore, and said disdainfully, "With your weak and frail appearance, coming to Liangshan would be a waste of food. Here's a piece of advice for you: get as far away as you can!"

The scholar, feeling somewhat humiliated, hadn't even spoken when the man beside him with the knife roared, "How dare you be so rude! Brothers, follow me, kill them, and we'll have wine and meat!"

The scholar secretly groaned. Although his side had more people, looking at the other side, everyone was holding a steel knife, with ruddy complexions and high spirits. His side was probably no match at all. Otherwise, why would he have said so much? He could have just taken them down directly. This guy was too impulsive!

Song Jiang raised his hand and said, "Your moment of glory has arrived. While ensuring your own safety, try to leave some survivors!"

The rookies were already poised to go. When Song Jiang gave the order, they were like chickens injected with chicken blood, shouting and rushing forward, eager to test their own strength!

Cao Long took the lead, like a hungry wolf among sheep, kicking down two enemies on the spot, and then raised his steel sword to cut through melons and vegetables as he charged forward!

Xu Hu was not to be outdone, and he used all the skills he had practiced to the fullest. He swept through the enemy like a thousand troops, and like riding the wind and breaking the waves, killing the enemy who fell to the ground and howled in pain!

The others were the same; the long-awaited battle made them eager to prove themselves, and they showed no mercy. It was fortunate that Song Jiang did not issue a kill order, otherwise there would have been no survivors. It was not that Song Jiang was merciful, but that these starving people were just the right people to serve as labor for Liangshan. They were all pitiful people!

Seeing his side rapidly crumbling, the man with the steel knife could no longer restrain himself and raised his knife to attack Cao Long!

Seeing that the man was incredibly fast, Cao Long quickly kicked down a man who was trying to ambush him and gripped his knife tightly as he charged at the man!

"Boom!" The two blades clashed, producing a piercing roar. In the first exchange, Cao Long took two steps back, somewhat alarmed. This person was much stronger than the previous group, and he was afraid he was no match for him!

But Cao Long was not afraid and charged forward again!

Seeing Liu Tang's eager expression, Song Jiang laughed and said, "Cao Long is no match for that man, Brother Liu Tang, go and have some fun!" Liu Tang was overjoyed, turned his head, and quickly joined the battle!

After a few rounds, Cao Long became somewhat flustered, and his defeat became increasingly apparent! The other man's martial arts skills were decent, but only decent; he wasn't anything particularly remarkable. Cao Long had little training time and lacked experience, so he ultimately suffered some minor losses!

Without further hesitation, Liu Tang slashed at the man with his sword. The man was unable to dodge in time and had no choice but to raise his sword to block the lightning strike!

With a loud "bang," the man groaned, his hand went numb, and the knife almost slipped from his grasp. He was terrified. What kind of strength was that? He couldn't even block a single move!

Liu Tang said to Cao Long, "You're no match for him yet, there's no need to throw your life away. I'll take care of him, you just keep an eye on him!"

After saying that, he smiled at the man and said, "It's not bad that you could withstand one of my attacks. Take this!"

After saying that, he slashed at her with his sword again!

The man dared not be careless, calmed his mind, and barely managed to parry!

The man barely managed to block a few blows, his arms went numb and sore. Another man with a gun came forward and thrust his gun at Liu Tang!

Liu Tang laughed loudly, "Well done!" Without the slightest fear, he slashed the man's chest with his knife!

Caught off guard, the man could only roll over like a lazy donkey to avoid the extremely dangerous attack!

Liu Tang fought two opponents and was not at a disadvantage at all. On the contrary, he became more and more fierce. With a spinning slash, he knocked the steel knife out of the other man's hand. Then, with a backhand scoop, he broke the gun in the other man's hand in two. In just five rounds, the two men were knocked to the ground and had no power to fight back!

It was a completely one-sided battle. In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, the outcome was decided. Our side was almost unscathed. The rookies, like victorious roosters, held their heads high with great pride. This first battle was a great success. They could easily take on two or even three or four opponents at once. This gave them a firm confidence that they would train even harder in the future!

"Except for the three of you, everyone else, put your hands behind your heads and lie face down on the ground, or don't blame the swords for being merciless!" Song Jiang commanded.

Although those people were unwilling, they didn't dare to resist and obediently lay on the ground with their hands behind their heads!

As for the three leaders, they had already been brought before Song Jiang by Liu Tang and the three Ruan brothers!

"How dare you come to my Liangshan without permission! You are truly insolent!" Song Jiang shouted.

The burly man with the steel knife said fearlessly, "A true man should die when he is ready to die. What is there to fear? I am inferior in skill and willingly admit defeat. I only ask for a quick death, without torture!"

Song Jiang nodded and said, "You do have some guts. Are you called Song Wan, the Cloud-Piercing Vajra?"

The burly man opened his eyes wide in surprise and asked, "How do you know my name?"

Song Jiang ignored him and asked another man, "So you're Du Qian who touched the sky?" The man was no less surprised than Song Wan!

Although Song Wan and Du Qian were only average in martial arts, they were the earliest veterans of Liangshan. They valued loyalty and were not heartless or ungrateful. However, after Chao Gai joined the Liangshan bandits, the two became extremely marginalized and were reduced to mere extras. In the end, they both died on the road to conquer Fang La.

"Would you two be willing to join my Liangshan?" Song Jiang appreciated the two men quite a bit. Although their martial arts skills were a bit mediocre, they were malleable. Moreover, Liangshan was indeed in dire need of manpower at the moment, so he offered to recruit them.

The two men were stunned. They had thought their lives were in danger, but to their surprise, the other party was recruiting them. They immediately nodded like chickens pecking at rice, saying, "Yes, yes!"

The scholar was about to speak when Song Jiang glared at him, and he quickly shut his mouth!

Song Jiang smiled at the two men and said, "Entering my Liangshan is no easy task. You attacked my Liangshan without authorization, and you must be punished. Otherwise, you will all be beheaded. Any objections?"

Ignoring Song Jiang's threats, the two knelt and said, "It was our impulsiveness, and we are willing to accept punishment!" They were joking, of course. The group opposite them was incredibly brave, a world apart from their own. Fighting them would be like tigers against sheep. More importantly, they didn't look hungry at all; on the contrary, they were strong and vigorous, clearly having eaten their fill. As long as they could eat, what did punishment matter? They certainly wouldn't be killed, otherwise Song Jiang wouldn't have wasted his breath talking to them!

The most important point is that the opposing group has a strong morale and combat power, and their spirit is far superior to ours. If I joined Liangshan, maybe I could become stronger too? No one would refuse an opportunity to become stronger, unless you are willing to be a salted fish. Hope is right in front of you, and it would be foolish not to seize it!

Thinking back to that man with the red birthmark on his face, who faced the two of them with a knife, he completely suppressed them in just two or three rounds. Such skills were extraordinary even in the martial arts world. Moreover, the people around the leader all gave off the feeling of being experts. If he really joined Liangshan, his future would definitely be extraordinary!

Thinking of this, Song Wan and Du Qian said in unison, "No objection!"

Song Jiang nodded and said, "In that case, Du Qian, take half of you to clear the wasteland and cultivate the land for me, and Song Wan, take the other half to cut wood, dig stones, and transport them here!"

After thinking for a moment, he added, "Each person will have two meals a day, two steamed buns and a bowl of porridge each time. Work will be supervised, and anyone who dares to slack off will be severely punished. Only if you perform well within three months will you be considered my Liangshan brothers; otherwise, hmph!"

Song Wan and Du Qian were dumbfounded. They never expected that Song Jiang would make them do hard labor. But seeing that some of the men on the ground had their eyes shining, they knew that the four steamed buns had already made them lose their minds. They thought that at least they would have four steamed buns every day. Although they wouldn't be full, it was better than nothing. Thinking back to the days when they were starving and even ate tree bark, and then thinking about now, it was like heaven and earth!

Without further hesitation, the two bowed and thanked him, saying, "We will certainly not disappoint you, brother! May we ask how to address you, brother?"

Song Jiang didn't intend to tell them their names until they joined Liangshan! "Don't ask anymore, you'll know in time. Now all of you follow Brother Liu Tang and get to work! Hey, you're not here, you stay here!" Song Jiang said hurriedly, looking at the scholar who was going with Song Wan and the others.

The scholar was taken aback, wondering why he alone had been detained! He hurriedly said, "I was unaware that Liangshan had long been Your Majesty's prized territory; otherwise, even if I had a hundred times the courage, I wouldn't dare to oppose Your Majesty!"

Song Jiang sneered, "You dare to become a mountain bandit, occupying the mountain as king, robbing and looting? I think you're tired of living, Wang Lun!"

The scholar was utterly shocked, his heart churning like a stormy sea. How did he know my name was Wang Lun? Oh right! He also knew the names Song Wan and Du Qian. What did he mean by "I'm a mountain king"? Could it be that he wasn't a bandit, but someone from the government? Their men were so powerful, unlike the methods of bandits; it was most likely them. If that was the case, then my life was over. But no, if he took Song Wan and Du Qian under his wing, I still had a chance!

Thinking of this, Wang Lun knelt down and said, "Please spare my life, sir! I was blinded by greed and really thought Liangshan was a no-man's-land, which is why I came here to investigate. Otherwise, even if I had ten lives, I wouldn't dare to be so presumptuous in front of you!"

Chao Gai looked at Wang Lun and felt a sense of disgust for some reason. Perhaps it was because he was spineless, or perhaps he simply didn't like the man? In any case, he disliked Wang Lun very much!

Song Jiang said calmly, "Guards! Execute Wang Lun!" As soon as he finished speaking, two rookies rushed forward and dragged Wang Lun away. Wang Lun was already pale with fright, only managing to utter, "Don't kill me, don't kill me!"

Song Jiang gave Wu Yong a meaningful look but didn't say anything. Wu Yong smiled and understood what Song Jiang meant.

With the steel knife raised, Wang Lun murmured, "My life is over!" His heart was filled with sorrow. Was this how my life was going to end? Wang Lun was unwilling, he was really unwilling, extremely unwilling!

He asked himself, though he wasn't a man of great talent and ambition, he was still quite capable and learned. He never imagined he would die so suddenly. Oh well, he'd be a hero in his next life!