A Small Gathering of Heroes in Yunmeng Village; Young Master Zhu of Zhu Family Manor Disp

The Song Dynasty had the most uprisings in the entire five thousand years of Chinese history. Many uprisings started from mountain strongholds, but not all strongholds would rebel. Some were just plundering and causing havoc in the area!

Seeing the trembling waiter, Song Jiang said, "Waiter, this has nothing to do with you, don't panic!"

The waiter said with a bitter face, "Sir, you don't know this, but there's a gang of thieves on Yunmeng Mountain who rob and plunder, wreaking havoc on the villages and committing all sorts of evil deeds! Their leader is called Black-Hearted Tiger Chen Lei, who loves killing. He's gathered three to five hundred men and has robbed several villages within a hundred miles! If anyone dares to resist, they're killed without exception, regardless of age or gender. If they're obedient, he might spare a few. But after what happened today, I reckon our village will be next!"

The young man spoke up, "Why didn't you report it to the authorities?"

The waiter gave a bitter smile and replied, "How could we not report it to the authorities? But what can the government do? Every time they send troops to suppress the bandits in a seemingly legitimate manner, after several campaigns, not only are the number of bandits the same, but the soldiers' food and drink are also supplied by the villages, needlessly increasing the burden on the villages! Afterwards, the bandits will retaliate. Now everyone is afraid, who would dare to report it to the authorities!"

"Bang!" The young man slammed his fist on the table in anger and cursed, "These corrupt officials only know how to prey on the people!" This young man was indeed an honest and upright person with a loyal heart!

The waiter advised, "Gentlemen, thank you for your help, but since you're just passing through, why invite trouble? It's best to leave now to avoid getting into trouble!"

Song Jiang laughed and retorted, "If we leave, what will you do? Will you listen to those thieves and hand over two hundred taels of silver?"

The waiter was taken aback and didn't say anything!

Song Jiang said, "As the saying goes, 'If you're going to help someone, help them all the way.' Since we've already offered our assistance, we won't give up halfway. Brother, please don't worry!"

The waiter just shook his head and smiled bitterly, but didn't answer!

Song Jiang sighed inwardly, thinking that the villagers' fear of the bandits from Yunmeng Mountain was ingrained in their bones and could not be erased by just a few words in a short time!

Forced relationships are never sweet, and some things cannot be forced. Since they were willing to be preyed upon by the bandits, Song Jiang decided it was better to avoid trouble. He placed twenty taels of silver on the table and said, "If you cut off flesh to feed a wolf, the wolf's appetite will only grow bigger. If you only give in to others, they will take advantage of you and eventually devour you!"

After saying this, Song Jiang stood up and prepared to continue his journey with Gongsun Sheng, Zhu Tong, and Yang Zhi!

"Sir!" the waiter suddenly called out to Song Jiang!

Song Jiang turned around and asked, "What is it?"

The waiter hesitated for a moment before asking, "Sir, can you really help us?"

Song Jiang laughed and said, "The only ones who can help you are yourselves!"

The waiter paused for a moment, then understood Song Jiang's meaning and said gratefully, "Thank you, sir!"

"Waiter, the bill!" At this moment, the couple sitting at the innermost table spoke up!

The waiter waved his hand and said, "You two should leave quickly! The drinks are on the house for today!"

The young man laughed and said, "That won't do!" He took out a silver ingot and placed it on the table, then slowly left with the woman.

Before leaving, the woman glanced at Song Jiang with a deep gaze, as if she had seen through everything in the world. Song Jiang pretended not to see her and lowered his head in thought.

Seeing Song Jiang pretend to be nonchalant, the woman smiled sweetly, leaving behind a faint fragrance and a graceful silhouette!

After the woman left, Song Jiang looked up and asked, "Brother Er, is your village headman here right now?"

The waiter nodded and said, "Gentlemen, please wait here for a moment. I'll go find the village head now!"

After the waiter left, only Song Jiang, Gongsun Sheng, Zhu Tong, Yang Zhi, the young man, and the big man remained in the inn!

The young man lowered his head as if in thought, while the burly man stared blankly at Song Jiang, seemingly lost in thought.

Song Jiang laughed and said, "Why are you staring at me, hero?"

The man said in a low voice, "You treated me to dinner and also helped me out of kindness; I admire you greatly!"

Song Jiang found the burly man's straightforward manner, without any ulterior motives or hidden agendas, quite amusing. He laughed and said, "Brother, I see you as an honest and upright person, so why have you fallen on such a lowly state?"

The burly man said, "It's because I'm a man who can't tolerate any wrongdoing, and when I make a mistake, there's no leniency. I've offended many friends and can't find anyone to turn to!"

Song Jiang's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "May I ask if you, brother, have no face to be Jiao Ting?"

The burly man asked in confusion, "How do you know my name?"

Song Jiang laughed and said, "Brother, your fist and foot fighting skills are unparalleled, I know that!"

Jiao Ting said, "My ancestors for three generations have made a living through sumo wrestling, but our ancestors taught that it could only be passed down from father to son and not to others. I am a man who likes to stand up for the weak, but now that I am in trouble, no one is helping me!"

Song Jiang felt disheartened. In this godforsaken world, even hot-blooded men couldn't afford to eat, while thugs and ruffians ate fish and meat every day. Was it that people's hearts had turned bad, or was this just the way things were?

After thinking for a moment, Song Jiang said, "Brother, you have such excellent martial arts skills, yet you've suffered such a fate—it's disheartening!"

Jiao Ting shook his head and said, "If I see injustice, I'll do my part. If there's food, I'll eat; if there's no food, I'll go hungry. It's quite comfortable, but the feeling of hunger is ultimately unpleasant!"

Seeing Jiao Ting's honest and simple nature, Song Jiang felt a pang of sympathy, and also admired his skills. He said, "Brother, why don't you come with me from now on? I can't guarantee you'll become rich and powerful, but you'll definitely have enough to eat every day!"

Jiao Ting refused, saying, "No, if I wanted to have enough to eat, it would be easy for me to become a head bodyguard in one of those officials' and merchants' homes. But I despise associating with them and will never stoop to their level!"

Jiao Ting's words were powerful and resonant, giving everyone present a jolt!

Song Jiang laughed and said, "I, Song Jiang, am far superior to those corrupt officials!"

Jiao Ting exclaimed with delight, "Could it be Song Jiang, the Timely Rain?"

Song Jiang nodded and smiled, "Absolutely genuine!"

Jiao Ting rolled over and lay on the ground, saying, "I've heard that you, brother, are a man of great loyalty and love making friends with heroes. Who in the martial world doesn't praise you? Meeting you today, I truly understand your righteousness. I'm willing to follow you, brother, and share life and death with you!"

Song Jiang helped Jiao Ting up, saying, "No need for formalities. I've been needing a skilled and nimble follower, and I'm fortunate to have met you today, brother!"

Jiao Ting was overjoyed, for he knew how much Song Jiang valued him!

Upon hearing Song Jiang's name, the young man stepped forward and bowed, saying, "So you're Brother Song Jiang! I've long admired your name!"

Song Jiang was overjoyed, thinking that good things might happen in pairs today. He stepped forward to help the young man up and said, "Do you still know your name, brother?"

The young man laughed and said, "My name isn't very well-known; I imagine you've never heard of me!"

Song Jiang laughed and said, "Brother, your martial arts are superb, and you have a chivalrous heart. You are certainly no ordinary person!"

The young man stopped making excuses and said directly, "My surname is Hao, and my given name is Siwen. You probably haven't heard of me, have you?"

A sense of desolation welled up in Song Jiang's heart, but he still smiled and said, "So it's Brother Hao Siwen of Jingmu Han!"

Hao Siwen was shocked. He never expected that Song Jiang had actually heard of his name. He had never been involved in the Jianghu before. How did Song Jiang know?

Song Jiang was indeed somewhat uncomfortable. If you were to ask who in Liangshan died the most tragically, it would undoubtedly be this brother before him!

When Hao Siwen was on patrol near Hangzhou with Xu Ning during the campaign against Fang La, they were dragged into the city along with their horses. Xu Ning went to rescue them but was shot in the neck by an arrow!

In the end, Hao Siwen was executed by slow slicing for refusing to surrender, and Xu Ning also died hastily because he was poisoned by an arrow and could not receive treatment!

Looking at the smiling, gentle, and brave young man before him, Song Jiang sighed!

"Brother?" Hao Siwen asked, seeing Song Jiang looking somewhat dazed.

Song Jiang regained his composure and laughed, "I just remembered something. How did you end up in Hebei, brother?"

Hao Siwen said, "I have a sworn brother who is taking the military examination in Kaifeng. He has gone ahead of me, and I plan to set off from the Yellow River to meet him!"

Song Jiang wondered if it could be Guan Sheng, the Great Saber? The leader of his Five Tiger Generals, it was a pity he would not have the chance to meet him today!

Seeing that Song Jiang remained silent, Hao Siwen spoke up again: "Brother, please don't worry, we will leave only after today's matter is settled!"

Seeing that Hao Siwen had misunderstood him, Song Jiang laughed and said, "I was wondering if my sworn brother is Guan Sheng, the Great Saber, a descendant of the Martial Saint Guan Yu?"

Hao Siwen asked in surprise, "How did you know, brother?"

Song Jiang smiled slightly and said, "I truly know the heroes of the world!"

Yang Zhi, Hao Siwen, and Jiao Ting didn't find these words to be false at all! After all, Song Jiang could say things that no outsider knew after only meeting them once. Apart from the fact that he really knew the heroes of the world, there was really no other explanation!

The six of them were all heroes of Liangshan. Perhaps it was fate that made them get to know each other so quickly!

A short while later, the waiter also led the shopkeeper into the store!

Meanwhile, Zhu Biao was brutally beaten by Li Kui and had his money emptied by Hu Sanniang. He returned to Zhu Family Village in Dulonggang in a sorry state!

"Bang!" Zhu Biao kicked open the door and stormed into the hall!

Hearing the noise, the other people from Zhujiazhuang also went to the hall!

"Third brother, what's gotten into you so angry?" asked a tall, burly man. It was Zhu Long, the eldest son of the Zhu family!

"Third brother, what happened to the injury on your face?" Zhu Hu had sharp eyes and noticed Zhu Biao's bruised and swollen face!

"Brothers, don't even mention it! I've never suffered such a loss before!" Zhu Biao said angrily.

"What happened? Who hit you?" a stern-looking man with an imposing presence asked.

"Master!" Zhu Biao cried out in grievance!

The man demanded sharply, "What exactly happened?"

Zhu Biao dared not hide anything and told the whole story from beginning to end!

"Outrageous! Since someone dares to disregard my Zhu Family Village, Third Brother, I'll go with you now and take his life!" Zhu Hu, hot-tempered, shouted first!

"Second brother, don't be anxious!" Zhu Long, as the eldest brother, was naturally much calmer!

"Mr. Luan, what are your thoughts on this matter?" Zhu Chaofeng asked.

He couldn't swallow his anger if his son was bullied. In the past, he wouldn't have wasted any time and would have sent people to fight back!

But he was also aware that the treasure of Jizhou Prefecture had been lost. The most urgent thing to do now was to deal with the current situation. His Zhu Family Village had been rampant in Dulonggang for many years because of the powerful backers behind them. If it weren't for the government having connections, they would probably have been wiped out long ago!

Although he did a lot of bad things, the government turned a blind eye. As long as you didn't cause trouble and you paid them bribes every year, the government generally didn't bother with you!

But if the government has something to do, you definitely have to step up, instead of hiding in the back like a coward, otherwise the government can find someone to replace you at any time!

Zhu Chaofeng was well aware of the intricacies of the situation. His Zhu Family Village had received considerable covert support from the Jizhou Prefecture. If he couldn't help the prefect solve his problems now, he would have no value in the future!

Fortunately, Shi Wenbin was very shrewd. Although the thief eventually disappeared in Yuncheng County, he did not mention to anyone that the thief was from Qinghe County, including the prefect of Jizhou. Apart from him, Song Jiang, Zhu Tong, and Tang Niu'er, only the thief himself knew about this!

Therefore, all that everyone knows now is that the thief disappeared in Yuncheng County, but no one knows that he may have already returned to Qinghe County!

The imposing-looking man was none other than Luan Tingyu, the teacher of the Zhu Family Village and the number one expert in the village. His presence gave Zhu Chaofeng great confidence, allowing him to surpass the Hu Family Village and the Li Family Village!

The three Zhu family heroes also respected Luan Tingyu, teaching him martial arts every day and training the villagers. It can be said that Luan Tingyu made an indispensable contribution to the Zhu family village's ability to stand proudly on Dulonggang!

Luan Tingyu pondered for a moment and then said, "This matter is rather strange. I've also heard of Wang Ying's infamous reputation. I've heard that he's extremely lecherous, and that he'll do anything to get his hands on any woman he sets his sights on. If what Sanlang said is true, then why did Wang Ying let the Hu family girl go unpunished after seeing her?"

Zhu Biao hurriedly said, "Master, you don't know this, but the way that short man looked at Third Sister that day, he seemed to want to devour her. I can guarantee that he was Wang Ying. In broad daylight, he wouldn't dare to do anything reckless. We have horses, how could he possibly catch up with us?"

Luan Tingyu felt that Zhu Biao's words were a bit exaggerated and something felt off for a moment, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He thought that Wang Ying had a bad reputation, and no normal person would impersonate him and tarnish their own reputation!

Seeing that Luan Tingyu remained silent, Zhu Biao loudly proclaimed, "Pass on my decree: From this day forward, anyone who captures Wang Ying in the martial world will be rewarded with two hundred taels of silver, and the Zhu Family Manor will treat them as honored guests. Anyone who takes Wang Ying's life will be rewarded with one hundred taels of silver, and the Zhu Family Manor will owe them a favor! From now on, if any trouble arises in the martial world, the Zhu Family Manor will step in to resolve it!"

It must be said that although Zhu Biao is young and sometimes impulsive, he is not an ordinary spoiled brat when he calms down!

"Sanlang, how are things between you and that girl?" Zhu Chaofeng asked, thinking about his youngest son's marriage.

"That girl has always been good to me, sigh!" Zhu Biao sighed.

"Don't worry! It's an arranged marriage by parents and matchmakers, that girl won't run away!" Zhu Chaofeng, who doted on his youngest son, comforted him.

Luan Tingyu wanted to say something more, feeling that things were not simple, but seeing that Zhu Biao had already issued a kill order, he silently withdrew his words!

If Song Jiang were here, he would probably laugh his head off. He didn't have many thoughts about framing Wang Ying; he simply felt that such a villain should be eliminated as soon as possible!