Black Whirlwind Battles Red-Haired Devil; Cloud Dragon Provides Timely Revelation

Two days later, the selection of the second batch of new recruits for Liangshan was completed. Apart from Chao Gai's eighty servants and Song Jiang's twenty servants, a total of three hundred people passed the selection!

With this number calculated, as many as four hundred people became new rookies. Song Jiang was also wondering if the assessment content was too simple, and whether he should add more assessment content next time!

Of course, there were also young and strong men in their seventies and eighties who met the age requirements but did not pass the test. Song Jiang comforted them and told them not to be discouraged, and that they could come back for selection after their physical fitness improved!

Four hundred newbies need to undergo a two-week training program before they can be integrated into the experienced newbie team!

Liangshan now has a force of 500 men, equivalent to a battalion! Although it is only a drop in the ocean compared to the 800,000 imperial guards of the Northern Song Dynasty (which may be exaggerated), Song Jiang has only been in Liangshan for about half a month, and he is confident that these 500 men will be no worse than a force of 1,000 men!

Once the team of 500 people is formed, it will be necessary to re-divide into teams, with veterans leading newbies. The integration and cohesion after the mixed formation is also very important, since the familiar comrades around us have been replaced and we will need to adapt to each other!

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. Nothing much happened during this time. Song Jiang went to the Yuncheng County government office twice, Chao Gai delivered grain once, Jin Dajian's craftsman friend went to Liangshan, and Song the blacksmith also finished making barbells, dumbbells, and single and double bars!

Each day passes by in an orderly and unhurried manner, watching the sunrise as fiery red, the bright moon and twinkling stars, the beautiful scenery of lakes and mountains, and the colorful clouds drifting by! Everything expresses the tranquility and peace of life!

"Brother, it's been half a month since we last left Liangshan!" a burly man said, it was Han Bolong!

"The hotel has been renovated today, and I need to report to my brother!" Zhu Gui said with a smile!

The two were walking and chatting on the golden sand beach when suddenly four figures appeared in front of them!

Zhu Gui frowned and said, "Why would anyone go to Liangshan at this time? This is unusual!"

Han Bolong immediately called out loudly, "Please wait, everyone!"

Zhu Gui pulled Han Bolong aside and said, "Keep quiet! How can we alert these people? Our martial arts skills are mediocre. If these people really have malicious intentions, I'm afraid we won't even be able to get the message to you, brother!"

Han Bolong was reminded by Zhu Gui and suddenly realized what was going on, but it was too late! The four of them turned around and looked at Zhu Gui and his companion!

Zhu Gui was somewhat alarmed. The leader of the four was handsome and imposing, exuding an air of authority.

To his left was a dark-skinned man, with thick muscles, reddish-yellow eyebrows, bloodshot eyes, black hair like iron brushes, and a ferocious face like a lion.

The two men on the right were of average appearance, but compared to them, they were not to be trifled with!

Zhu Gui's heart skipped a beat. These four people did not seem like good people. He was afraid he was doomed!

The leader sized up the two men and then asked, "Who are you, and why are you here?"

As Zhu Gui was pondering how to answer, Han Bolong spoke up: "I never change my name or surname; I am Han Bolong, a hero of Liangshan!"

The man shook his head and said, "Han Bolong, never heard of him. Did you only recently join Liangshan?"

Han Bolong was taken aback and asked, "What does this have to do with you?"

"Oh no!" Zhu Gui thought to himself, "This is bad." His brother was good in every way, but he was too stubborn. He knew that too much rigidity could lead to breakage. The situation was unfavorable to his side, yet he still had to be so defiant!

Before the leader could speak, the burly man next to him yelled, "How dare you be so rude to my brother! You're asking for a beating!"

Han Bolong was also furious, but he was not afraid at all. He raised his fist and went to meet the attack!

Unfortunately, his martial arts skills were too sparse, how could he withstand the strength of that man who weighed hundreds of pounds? He fell down and was pinned to the ground and hammered!

Zhu Gui cursed Han Bolong for his impulsiveness and was about to rush forward to fight when the leader spoke up: "Stop!"

The burly man stopped punching and muttered to himself, "Consider yourself lucky!"

"Don't be rude!" A voice rang out. It turned out that Song Jiang had also arrived with Wu Yong and Liu Tang after hearing the news!

"Brother!" The leader exclaimed excitedly as he stepped forward upon seeing Song Jiang!

"Brother!" a girl exclaimed excitedly!

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back! Brother Wanchun!" Song Jiang stepped forward and gave Pang Wanchun a big hug, then immediately went to Han Bolong to help him up and brushed the dust off his clothes!

"Brother! I'm incompetent!" Han Bolong said guiltily.

Song Jiang laughed and said, "It's alright. You faced the enemy without hesitation, which is commendable. But next time, remember that the enemy is far superior to us, so don't act impulsively!"

Song Jiang showed no blame whatsoever; instead, Han Bolong felt both guilty and moved. Zhu Gui admired Song Jiang even more!

Looking at Pang Wanchun, who was reminiscing about their parting with Pang Qiuxia, and then at the three men, Song Jiang introduced them: "These are the new brothers who have joined Liangshan, Zhu Gui and Han Bolong."

Pang Wanchun bowed to the two men and introduced the other two, saying, "These two are my brothers Lei Jiong and Ji Ji, whom I met on the road. They are quite brave and willing to follow you, brother!" So these were the two men, Pang Wanchun's deputies in the original story. Unexpectedly, after all the twists and turns, the gears of fate had not changed, and they had returned to the starting point with Pang Wanchun!

Pang Wanchun said to the burly man, "Tie Niu, this is the Brother Gongming you've been longing for day and night. Now that you've seen him, why don't you bow to him?"

The burly man exclaimed in shock, "Brother, please don't lie to me! Is he really Song Jiang? If he really is Brother Song Jiang, I'll pay my respects. But if he's just some nobody, why would I bother paying him any respects?"

Pang Qiuxia scolded, "You dark-skinned fellow, you look honest but you're quite cunning. How could my brother possibly deceive you!"

The dark-skinned man didn't get angry after being scolded. Instead, he became somewhat embarrassed and gave a simple, honest laugh. His dark face turned a dark purple, making him look quite comical!

Song Jiang glanced at the burly man, then at Pang Qiuxia, a smirk playing on his lips. Fate could be so wondrous sometimes! He spoke, "I am Song Jiang! Brother, you must be Black Whirlwind Li Kui!"

The burly man knelt down in astonishment, saying, "Iron Ox greets Brother Gongming! How did Brother Gongming know my nickname 'Black Whirlwind,' and how did he know I was Li Kui?!"

Song Jiang smiled and said, "Get up and talk!" He didn't step forward to help him up.

Li Kui stood up and said, "I've longed to follow you, brother, and today my wish has finally come true!"

Song Jiang shook his head and said, "Tie Niu, if you really want to follow me, you need to apologize to Brother Bolong!"

Li Kui's eyes widened as he shouted, "How can I apologize to him!"

Han Bolong tried to smooth things over, saying, "This brother is naturally strong; I'm simply outmatched!"

Song Jiang spoke up, "Brother Bolong didn't provoke you with any words, yet he was beaten by you for no reason. It's truly unfair!"

Li Kui turned his head to the side and remained silent!

Song Jiang sighed inwardly. It was really not easy to subdue this stubborn fellow!

Song Jiang didn't force Li Kui to apologize. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Tie Niu, you think you're exceptionally strong. In that case, why don't you have a fight with Brother Liu Tang? If you can defeat Brother Liu Tang, I'll give you ten taels of silver and let you follow me. The matter of apologizing will be over. If you lose to Brother Liu Tang, you must apologize to Brother Bolong!"

Li Kui glanced at Liu Tang, knowing he had met his match, but he was never afraid of anything. He raised his head and said forcefully, "Brother, are you serious? If I really defeat this red-haired scoundrel, will you let me follow you?"

Upon hearing Li Kui call him a "red-feathered bird," Liu Tang angrily retorted, "You black bastard, how dare you be so arrogant! Today I will teach you a lesson!"

Li Kui laughed loudly, "Come on then, what are you afraid of!"

Song Jiang spoke up, saying, "A promise made is a promise kept. The two of you must not ruin our harmony today. You should stop short of hurting each other!"

The twenty-first Heavenly Star of Strange Omens and the twenty-second Heavenly Killing Star of Slaughter will have a showdown today. Who will prevail? Song Jiang thinks it will be Liu Tang, but we'll have to see for ourselves!

The two exchanged a few glances without saying a word, and then charged at each other and began to fight!

One face had a birthmark, making him look like a red-faced demon; the other face looked like ink splattered on a black-faced evil spirit. When they clashed, their fists and feet flew back and forth, creating quite a lively scene!

Song Jiang shook his head. Li Kui had brute strength but no skill in his punches and kicks. He was no match for Liu Tang. He could bully someone weaker with his muscular body, but against someone with some skill, he would only get beaten up!

Li Kui clenched his fists and yelled. Liu Tang saw an opening in his chest, took a side step, and leaned in close to Li Kui's chest. Li Kui felt a tremendous force pass through his chest, staggered back seven or eight steps, lost his footing, and fell on his butt!

Li Kui shouted, "I lost! A bet's a bet!" He then stood up, stepped forward, bowed to Han Bolong, and said, "I was a bit too rough with you earlier. I apologize!"

Han Bolong quickly returned the greeting, his heart filled with gratitude towards Song Jiang!

Song Jiang stepped forward and patted Li Kui on the shoulder, saying, "Brother Tie Niu, are you angry with me for making you apologize to Brother Bo Long?"

Li Kui whispered, "Tie Niu wouldn't dare!"

Song Jiang laughed and said, "It seems there are still some!"

Li Kui remained silent!

Song Jiang then laughed and said, "Brother Tie Niu, do you think what you did was right?"

Li Kui remained silent.

Song Jiang said earnestly, "Brother Tie Niu is a passionate and righteous man, but he lacks a clear sense of right and wrong! You must know that you should not do evil because it is insignificant, nor should you neglect good because it is insignificant!"

If these words had come from anyone else, Li Kui would probably have dismissed them as nonsense, but coming from Song Jiang, Li Kui exclaimed in disbelief, "Brother, you?!"

Song Jiang patted him on the shoulder and said, "From now on, you are my brother, Song Jiang. You must know that there are three great taboos around me: no indiscriminate killing of the innocent, no killing of brothers, and no cannibalism!"

Seeing that Li Kui was still deep in thought, Song Jiang guessed that his words were a bit hard for Li Kui to understand, so he didn't say anything more and smiled at Pang Wanchun, saying, "Today we're having a welcome feast for the brothers, so let's have extra dishes tonight!"

Was Li Kui a bad person in Song Jiang's eyes? Song Jiang had thought about this question. Perhaps in the eyes of readers, Li Kui was even more evil than many villains, because he could really kill innocent people indiscriminately, regardless of age!

Li Kui is a very complex person. He embodies the traditional Chinese virtue of filial piety, as the saying goes, "Of all virtues, filial piety is the most important!" However, he also possesses the ugliness of human nature, unable to distinguish right from wrong, and only cares about his own pleasure, doing whatever he pleases!

Li Kui is loyal, but he also has selfish motives. He is indeed not afraid of death, but he is also a bully who preys on the weak and fears the strong!

In fact, Li Kui's evil was inseparable from the indulgence of Song Jiang and Wu Yong. When a person's evil goes unpunished and is tolerated, his evil will be magnified infinitely! In the end, it will only extinguish his humanity and conscience, turning him into a demon!

This is why Song Jiang insisted that Li Kui apologize. He had to make Li Kui realize his mistake and correct it, otherwise, if he didn't correct his small mistakes, he would eventually cause a huge disaster!

Li Kui is a double-edged sword. If used well, he is invincible; if used poorly, he can hurt others and himself.

The group sat together in the open space.

"Brother, the Li Family Road Crossing Hotel has been renovated by both the Sun and Moon teams! We just need to add a few more tables and chairs, and it'll be ready to open!"

"Brother, you have done a great service in this matter. The Li Family Inn will surely become the eyes and ears of Liangshan in the future!" Song Jiang laughed!

After thinking for a moment, Song Jiang spoke again: "Now that the inn is repaired, brother, let's go back to Yishui first and bring Brother Zhu Fu up the mountain together!"

Zhu Guixi said happily, "Thank you, brother!"

Song Jiang looked at Li Kui and laughed, "Tie Niu, you're out there having a great time, while your old mother is at home crying herself blind because of you. Your elder brother Li Da was convicted because of you and is now in shackles. Why don't you go back and bring them to Liangshan to show your filial piety?"

Li Kui was astonished that Song Jiang knew so much about his family affairs. He himself was unaware that his mother was blind, yet Song Jiang knew all about it. Li Kui revered Song Jiang as a god, but moved by Song Jiang's concern for his mother, he said, "Iron Niu is unfilial, causing my mother and brother to suffer. Tomorrow I will go back and bring them back to Liangshan!"

Song Jiang laughed and said, "You and Brother Zhu Gui are from the same hometown. Traveling together will allow you to look out for each other. Don't be impulsive on the road, and listen to Brother Zhu Gui. He is always cautious in his actions, and with him around, you will definitely not suffer any losses. Can you do that?"

Li Kui nodded hastily and said, "We'll do as you say, brother!"

Song Jiang thought to himself, "I have done so much. I hope you can bring your mother safely up the mountain and not let her be eaten by tigers on the way. Perhaps your mother is the only kindness in Li Kui's heart! If his mother were here, Song Jiang was confident that he could transform him from a murderous demon into a righteous and chivalrous Black Whirlwind!"

"Brother, the village head is here!" Ruan Xiaoer's voice came over at that moment!

Song Jiang shook his head inwardly. What kind of day is this? Why are they all rushing to Liangshan?

"Clerk!" Chao Gai's voice carried from afar!

Song Jiang looked at Chao Gai, and was surprised to find that Chao Gai was accompanied by a Taoist priest!

It seems the real intention wasn't the wine; it wasn't Chao Gai looking for him, but this Taoist priest!

"Clerk, it wasn't me who came looking for you, but this Taoist priest came to Dongxi Village yesterday, saying he had something important to discuss with you. I saw how serious he sounded, so I brought him to Liangshan to find you!" Chao Gai said with a smile!

To be honest, Chao Gai did make a mistake in this matter. He rushed to Liangshan without clarifying the other party's identity. If the other party had ill intentions, wouldn't he have brought disaster upon himself?

But Song Jiang didn't care about these things. Chao Gai was upright and straightforward, not very cunning, but extremely cautious in his actions. In addition, Taoists had a high status at the time, and if someone was found out that someone was impersonating a Taoist, they would be imprisoned and sued. Therefore, normal people would not impersonate Taoists!

Song Jiang observed that the Taoist priest appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. His hair was styled in two loose buns, and he wore a purple robe embroidered with a large Bagua diagram. A green silk sash hung at his waist, and a bronze sword with pine-patterned markings slung across his back, its blade gleaming faintly with white light, giving him an imposing air. He wore straw sandals, carried a tortoise-shell fan in his hand, had arched eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, a square mouth, and a full beard.

Song Jiang's heart skipped a beat, and he smiled, "May I ask if you, Taoist priest, are you Gongsun Sheng, the Cloud-Piercing Dragon?"