Past Life's Feud Repayed in This Life; How Many Will Look On Today?

Zhang Shun was rather puzzled and asked, "Brother Yang Lin, is there something you need from me?"

Yang Lin thought that even if he couldn't get An Daoquan to come up the mountain, getting Zhang Shun to come up the mountain would be a great achievement, so he stepped forward and pulled Zhang Shun aside, saying, "Sit down and let's talk in detail."

Unable to break free, Zhang Shun had no choice but to sit down. Yang Lin recounted everything that had happened since he left Liangshan to Zhang Shun in detail. He also mentioned that Song Jiang very much hoped that Zhang Shun would join him on Liangshan and had already sent someone to Jieyang Town to look for Zhang Shun. However, since Zhang Shun had appeared in Jiankang Prefecture, the search for Jieyang Town would be fruitless.

Zhang Shun lowered his head and thought for a moment before saying, "I have also heard of the name of the Timely Rain. I am grateful to Brother Song Jiang for his high regard. I am willing to go up the mountain with Brother Yang Lin. However, my mother is seriously ill. I only hope to cure my mother and bring her up the mountain with me."

Zhang Shun had actually had enough of his daily antics with his brother Zhang Heng on the river, pretending to be robbed and swindling merchants. Not only was the robbery not his intention, but Zhang Heng's insistence, but if they continued like this, they would be caught sooner or later, and if caught by the authorities, they would be beheaded. Since Yang Lin said that Liangshan was a good place to go, and Song Jiang valued him so much, there was no harm in going and taking a look.

Yang Lin sighed, "It's a pity that Doctor An is so obsessed with women that I have no way to bring him to Liangshan."

Zhang Shun laughed and said, "That's no problem at all. Once my mother's illness is cured, I guarantee that Doctor An will come to Liangshan with me."

The two of them sat down together at An Daoquan's house, drinking and waiting for him to return.

After a long while, An Daoquan returned with a beaming smile. Although his legs were a little unsteady, he was in high spirits. Upon seeing Yang Lin and Zhang Shun, he asked, "And who is this brother?"

Zhang Shun hurriedly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Please, Divine Physician An, save my mother."

Although An Daoquan was known for his womanizing ways, his medical ethics were highly commendable. He immediately asked seriously, "Where is your mother?"

Zhang Shun hurriedly replied, "They'll be housed at the inn."

Despite feeling somewhat exhausted, An Daoquan nodded and said, "Let's go now."

Upon arriving at the inn, Zhang's mother was lying on the bed in the inn's room, groaning in pain. An Daoquan hurriedly went over to check on her and took her pulse. Zhang Shun was a little nervous, but An Daoquan smiled and said, "It's nothing, it's just a carbuncle on her back. I'll prick it with a needle and apply some medicine, and it will heal completely."

After speaking, he began to write the prescription. Yang Lin was full of admiration for An Daoquan. No wonder Song Jiang insisted on bringing An Daoquan up the mountain; his medical skills were indeed superb.

After seeing the patient, An Daoquan was a little tired. He wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "Give your mother some medicine today, and I'll come back tomorrow to give her acupuncture."

The next day, at the inn, An Daoquan punctured the carbuncle, applied medicine, and then picked up his medicine box, saying, "Your mother will be fully healed after three more days of treatment. Don't worry."

Zhang Shun hurriedly took out the consultation fee, but An Daoquan pushed Zhang Shun's hand away and said, "Yang Lin has already paid the consultation fee. I have other things to do, so I'll be leaving now."

Yang Lin guessed that An Daoquan was going to see Li Qiaonu again, so he looked at Zhang Shun. After settling his mother, Zhang Shun gestured for Yang Lin to follow An Daoquan to see what was going on.

An Daoquan went home first, put down his medicine box, then changed into new clothes and went out, winding his way to a house.

Zhang Shun and Yang Lin followed quietly behind. When they saw An Daoquan stop at this house, the two hid in a corner to avoid being seen by An Daoquan.

An Daoquan knocked on the door, and soon the door opened; Li Qiaonu opened the door for An Daoquan herself.

An Daoquan stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Li Qiaonu's slender waist, wanting to kiss her. Li Qiaonu gently slapped An Daoquan away and laughed, "Wasn't yesterday enough?"

An Daoquan smiled broadly and said, "How could that be?" He was nowhere to be seen as the dignified and elegant man he used to be!

Seeing this from afar, Zhang Shun smiled and said to Yang Lin, "I never thought that someone as kind-hearted and skillful as Doctor An would also be so addicted to the pleasures of love. Indeed, the pleasures of love have always been the graveyard of heroes."

Seeing that the two had closed the door, Yang Lin asked, "What should we do?"

Zhang Shun laughed and said, "This place is not far from the river. We'll go in, knock out Doctor An and that woman, and take them all away by water. My boat is right by the river. Once we're on the river, An Daoquan won't be able to escape."

Yang Lin was both impressed and speechless when he heard Zhang Shun's simple and brutal method. Why couldn't he be a little more ruthless?

Just as the two were about to make their move, two more people arrived and banged heavily on the door, so Zhang Shun and Yang Lin hid again to observe.

A short while later, the old woman who had come to see An Daoquan yesterday opened the door.

One of them said, "Tell An Daoquan to come out here."

The devout woman hurriedly replied, "The divine physician An is not here."

The other person said, "Bullshit, I just saw him go in not long ago."

The prostitute cried out in protest.

The man pushed past the old woman and tried to barge inside. The old woman quickly stepped forward to block him, saying, "Master Zhang, you are being unreasonable. My daughter likes Doctor An, and Doctor An is willing to pay for her services. Why are you causing trouble here?"

The man kicked the old woman over and rushed inside with another person. Soon after, noise and fighting could be heard from inside.

Zhang Shun and Yang Lin's eyes lit up. They exchanged a glance and then rushed into the house.

Inside the house, An Daoquan was being brutally beaten by one man while another man was cursing Li Qiaonu. When An Daoquan saw Zhang Shun and Yang Lin enter, he hurriedly said, "Brothers, save me!"

Yang Lin stepped forward and punched the man, who quickly dodged. An Daoquan hurriedly got up and hid behind Yang Lin, whispering, "This man is called Zhang Wang, the River-Intercepting Ghost, and that man is called Sun Wu, the Oil-Eel. The two of them specialize in murder and robbery on the river. They are truly wicked people."

Yang Lin's eyes flashed with murderous intent as he drew his weapon, a short spear, while Zhang Shun also drew a short sword.

Zhang Wang and Sun Wu were known for their murders and robberies on the river, so they knew that the two men in front of them wanted them dead. They grabbed a stool and prepared to rush out.

Yang Lin and Zhang Shun gave them no chance and charged forward. As one of the Sixteen Little Tigers, Yang Lin's martial arts skills, while not top-notch, were not bad either. Zhang Wang, who made his living on the water, had some fighting skills, but he was no match for Yang Lin. After more than ten rounds, Zhang Wang gradually couldn't hold on any longer. He picked up a stool and threw it at Yang Lin. Yang Lin dodged to the side, and Zhang Wang tried to take the opportunity to rush out. Yang Lin reacted quickly and flicked his spear.

With a thud, Zhang Wang was stabbed through the heart and collapsed to the ground, dead beyond any doubt. Meanwhile, the battle between Zhang Shun and Sun Wu was nearing its end. Although Zhang Shun's martial arts skills on the road were far inferior to those in the water, he still knew some. Sun Wu was nothing more than someone who had followed Zhang Wang in committing evil deeds on the river, and his martial arts skills were even worse than Zhang Wang's. Taking advantage of an opportunity, Zhang Shun slashed his short sword across Sun Wu's throat. Sun Wu clutched his throat as if he couldn't believe he was dead, blood flowing from his fingers. He fell to the ground unwillingly, dying with his eyes wide open.

Zhang Shun and Yang Lin rid the people of a scourge, but Zhang Shun felt a great sense of satisfaction. He stepped forward and stabbed Zhang Wang and Sun Wu a few more times. In the original story, Zhang Shun went to visit An Daoquan and was almost killed by Zhang Wang and Sun Wu. Unexpectedly, today Zhang Shun struck first and killed the two of them. He felt as if he had released an invisible pent-up anger. Perhaps it was the will of Heaven.

But the three people left in the room, An Daoquan, Li Qiaonu, and the prostitute, were dumbfounded. There was a clear law in the Song Dynasty that if the murderer in the room had a conflict with the deceased, they were the owners of the house and were present at the scene. If they did not stop it, they would be held jointly liable. If Yang Lin and Zhang Shun ran away, they would be in trouble with the law.

As for taking the two to the authorities? Relying on An Daoquan? An Daoquan himself was barely able to protect himself just now, and Qianpo and Li Qiaonu are even more powerless. They'll probably be dead before they even reach the government office!

This was a sex scandal; they were all involved, and none of them could escape. Thinking this, the prostitute shouted, "Murder! Murder! Kill!" Before she finished speaking, Yang Lin grabbed a stool and smashed it over her head. The prostitute's eyes rolled back, and she collapsed to the ground. Yang Lin then stepped forward and struck her heavily in the stomach, followed by a palm strike to her forehead. He said, "This madam won't wake up for days. Let's get out of here."

In fact, Zhang Shun felt that Yang Lin's actions were completely unnecessary; such a person should simply be killed. However, seeing that Yang Lin seemed unwilling to kill, he didn't say anything.

If it were based on Yang Lin's previous character, he might have really killed that vengeful woman. But then he remembered what Song Jiang had said: many people do not have an easy life, and it is not necessary to stain one's hands with blood unless absolutely necessary. This is not a woman's kindness, but a kind of compassion and a respect for life.

Looking at the startled Li Qiaonu and the stunned An Daoquan, Zhang Shun said, "Dr. An, if we leave, you and your lover will definitely face legal trouble."

An Daoquan said with a wry smile, "Brothers, you've really put me in a difficult position. How could you be so reckless? Now what am I supposed to do?"

Yang Lin scoffed, "Such a wicked person should be killed."

Zhang Shun added, "I will never forget the kindness of Doctor An in saving my mother. These two thieves dared to harm Doctor An; they are courting death."

An Daoquan hesitated for a moment before asking, "Did you follow me here?" An Daoquan wasn't stupid. Zhang Wang and Sun Wu were causing him trouble, and then Yang Lin and Zhang Shun suddenly appeared. It was too much of a coincidence.

Yang Lin didn't hide anything and nodded, saying, "Doctor An, do you have any other options besides going to Liangshan? I guarantee that if you go to Liangshan, you'll be even more successful than in Jiankang, and you'll live a carefree and happy life for the rest of your days."

An Daoquan was still hesitating when Zhang Shun said impatiently, "Please think it over slowly, Doctor. This young lady witnessed this incident. I'll kill her to silence her." With that, he picked up his short sword and walked towards Li Qiaonu.

Li Qiaonu was terrified, her face turning pale. She hid behind An Daoquan, trembling. An Daoquan protected Li Qiaonu and said urgently, "If you kill Miss, I will immediately go to the Yellow Springs with you."

Yang Lin said, "If Miss informs us, none of us will escape."

An Daoquan said, "How about we take Miss with us to Liangshan?"

Yang Lin laughed and said, "That would be perfect. On Liangshan, husband and wife can live in harmony, and the young lady can reform herself. It would be a wonderful thing, and everyone would be happy."

At this moment, Li Qiaonu dared not say no. Moreover, seeing that An Daoquan was sincere towards her, she knew that in this society, it was enough to win the heart of a man. In addition, she also had feelings for An Daoquan. Otherwise, she would not have been spending so much time with him and turning away other customers. This was a major taboo for women in brothels.

This time, Li Qiaonu didn't die at Zhang Shun's hands, which can be considered a guarantee for An Daoquan's happiness in the second half of his life.

With no other options, Li Qiaonu and An Daoquan packed up their valuables, then changed into men's clothing. Zhang Shun went to fetch his mother, while Yang Lin and the other two went to An Daoquan's house. An Daoquan also packed up his valuables and took his medicine bag. The three of them went outside the city to meet up with Zhang Shun and his mother. The five of them headed north towards the river.

In the middle of the night, they finally arrived at the riverbank. There were no boats available. Looking towards the south bank, they saw faint lights in the woods. The five of them rushed to the lights and found that it was a village inn. An old man was brewing wine in the middle of the night, and the light was shining through the cracks in the wall.

Yang Lin stepped forward and knocked on the door. The old man opened the door and was surprised to see five people. Yang Lin immediately bowed deeply.

The old man asked, "Why are you here by the river so late?"

Yang Lin replied, "There was an emergency at home, so I took my mother and brothers and wanted to cross the river to go home overnight, but it was too late and we couldn't find a boatman."

The old man invited the five people into the hotel, brought them some tea and a few steamed buns, and then asked, "Where are you from?"

Yang Lin replied, "We are from Jeju Prefecture. I do business here, so my family is with me. There was an emergency back home, so we brought our family back with us."

The old man nodded and looked at the group, saying, "I can tell you're no ordinary person, and neither is the brother beside you."

Yang Lin took a sip of hot tea and remained silent, creating an awkward atmosphere.

The old man then asked, "Do you know Song Jiang from Jizhou Prefecture in Shandong?"

Yang Lin hesitated for a moment before answering, "That's my brother."

The old man nodded and said, "I have long admired the name of Song Jiang, the Timely Rain of Shandong. My son admires him and is very eager to pay him a visit."

After saying this, he went into the inner hall, and soon a young man came out. Upon seeing Yang Lin, he bowed and said, "I have long admired Brother Gongming's name, but I have never had the chance to meet you. My surname is Wang, and I am the sixth child in my family. Because I can run and jump fast, people call me 'Wang Dingliu the Flashy One.' All I can do in my life is wrestle with a staff in the water. I have tried to learn from many masters, but I have not been able to receive any instruction. I make a living by selling wine by the river."

Zhang Shun smiled and said, "In that case, let's go together tomorrow."

That night, Wang Dingliu and his father went to pack their valuables, while the other five people spent the night in the shop.

The next day, Yang Lin bought a slightly larger boat. Wang Dingliu's father locked the shop door, and the seven of them boarded the boat together. Zhang Shun rowed the boat, and the seven of them headed towards Liangshan Marsh.

In Jieyang Town, Lei Jiong searched for Zhang Shun but found nothing. Li Yun, however, successfully ran into Li Jun. But Li Jun did not express his opinion on the spot. Instead, he smiled and asked the Tong Wei and Tong Meng brothers to have a drink with Li Yun!

Three days later, Lei Jiong and Li Yun met, but both returned empty-handed. Lei Jiong didn't even know where Zhang Shun had gone, while Li Jun told Li Yun that he wanted to think about it. If he wanted to go to Liangshan, he would definitely go to Liangshan to meet Li Yun!

Li Yun wasn't stupid; he knew this was Li Jun's excuse. Fortunately, Song Jiang hadn't intended for Li Jun to join Liangshan, so although Li Yun felt some regret, he wasn't too disappointed.

Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, Zhu Gui and the others who had been sent out to search for heroes had all returned to Liangshan. Except for Yang Lin who brought back An Daoquan, Wang Dingliu and Zhang Shun, and Zhu Fu who took Deng Fei to Zhu Family Village, the rest of them returned empty-handed!