Lei Heng defeats the bandits, displaying his power; Chao Gai arrives to assist Song Jiang

Chapter 94 Lei Heng defeats the bandits, displaying his power; Chao Gai arrives to assist Song Jiang.

Many people criticize Lei Heng for being unworthy of being ranked 25th among the Heavenly Stars, but in reality, there aren't as many people in Liangshan who can truly surpass Lei Heng as one might imagine. If Lu Junyi's martial prowess is rated 100 points, Lei Heng would be rated 80 points, definitely above average. It's just that his moral flaws make many people look down on him.

This Xu Fu is not bad. Although his martial arts skills are only so-so, they can be improved. He is also quite intelligent and has potential.

Lei Heng hasn't made a move in a long time. Since the last time he fought an assassin to save Jiu Wan's sister, he was hit by a poisoned dart and it took him a long time to recover.

Today, he finally met a worthy opponent, and his face lit up with excitement. He tightened his right hand and used all his strength to strike Xu Fu's head with his right fist. Xu Fu instinctively tried to shake his head to dodge, and was about to withdraw his left hand and strike Lei Heng's neck in return. Unexpectedly, Lei Heng not only did not throw a punch back, but instead spread his palm like a knife and struck Liu Ping's right shoulder with lightning speed.

The blow was powerful and heavy, sending Xu Fu flying to the side and almost causing him to fall to the ground. The explosive force made Xu Fu feel a tightness in his chest and almost unable to breathe.

Lei Heng gave him no room to maneuver, closing in again with lightning speed. His winged tiger-like body charged straight in, striking Xu Fu in the ribs. Xu Fu tried to run away but couldn't stay on his feet and rolled several times on the ground.

Unexpectedly, Lei Heng appeared again and struck him in the chest with his elbow, sending him flying. Then, with a kick, Xu Fu slammed into the wall again, bounced up, and fell down. This time, Xu Fu lay on the ground unable to move because he felt his ribs were broken.

At this moment, everyone knew that Xu Fu had lost. The Qingyun Mountain group, who had initially held some hope, lowered their heads, their faces ashen. This time, they feared that their group would not be able to escape unscathed.

However, some of the opponents were highly skilled in martial arts, while others possessed exceptional intelligence. It was truly not his fault for being incompetent. He could only hope that Di Lei would be able to save him someday.

Song Jiang smiled. Wu Song's side should be nearing its end as well. This time, without losing a single soldier, they annihilated all 499 men of Qingyun Mountain. It can truly be called a major victory.

Inside the county government office, Shi Wenbin sat in his chair, beaming with delight. Yes, it was the surprise that Song Jiang had brought him this time.

Zhu Tong reported the results of the battle: 390 people were captured, 109 were killed by shooting and traps, and their own side did not suffer a single minor injury. This was entirely due to Song Jiang's strategy.

One hundred and seven of the henchmen sustained minor injuries, and Song Jiang ordered them all to receive medical treatment. Forty-nine of them were seriously injured, and Song Jiang also ordered them to be kept in separate custody. The rest of the uninjured were all locked in the prison, and the Yuncheng prison was immediately packed to the brim.

Song Jiang, however, did not take credit for himself, and said with a smile, "This time it was thanks to Master Shi's skillful command, and Wen Yuan also deserves much credit."

Zhang Wenyuan was flattered. Song Jiang patted Zhang Wenyuan on the shoulder and said to Shi Wenbin, "You must reward Wenyuan well, Magistrate."

Shi Wenbin also smiled and said, "Don't worry, I've always been fair in my rewards and punishments."

The main hall of the Yuncheng County Government was filled with a joyful atmosphere, and Mr. Chen and his wife were also beaming with happiness.

Chen, the wealthy man, walked up to Shi Wenbin, knelt on the ground, and said sincerely, "Your Excellency has shown us kindness as if you were our second father."

Shi Wenbin was somewhat embarrassed. This time, it was Song Jiang who came up with all the ideas, while he had just stayed obediently in the county office. However, he still said, "Master Chen, you don't need to be so polite. As the magistrate of this county, it is my duty to uphold justice for the people."

Chen the wealthy man bowed deeply to Song Jiang again. Everyone knew that if it weren't for Song Jiang, the Chen family might have been wiped out. It seemed that Song Jiang knew about Qingyun Mountain's every move in advance and made various preparations and plans, thus wiping out the people of Qingyun Mountain in one fell swoop. Not only Chen the wealthy man, but even Shi Wenbin admired him greatly for this.

Song Jiang smiled, then said seriously, "Master Chen, there's no rush to thank me. Last night was just the beginning."

As soon as Song Jiang finished speaking, the hall, which had been filled with smiles, fell silent again.

The wealthy Chen's face twitched slightly, and Madam Chen's expression was also quite interesting. They hoped that Song Jiang was exaggerating, but since the letter from Qingyun Mountain, Song Jiang had never made a mistake and had never missed a calculation. Moreover, Song Jiang had no reason to lie to them.

Thinking of this, Chen, the wealthy man, cautiously asked, "What is Song, the clerk's, opinion?"

Song Jiang said calmly, "When soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it. There's no need to worry."

Song Jiang looked at Mr. and Mrs. Chen and said, "We will trouble Mr. Chen to continue staying at the county government office until the matter is completely resolved."

Master Chen had long admired Song Jiang, and quickly nodded in agreement.

After seeing off Master Chen and his gang, Song Jiang arranged for the yamen runners and soldiers to patrol the streets, instructing them not to alert anyone they saw, but to report it promptly.

After everyone had gone to their busy work, only Shi Wenbin, the county magistrate, the county lieutenant's secretary, Song Jiang, Captain Liu, the three captains, and Zhang Wenyuan remained in the main hall. Originally, Zhang Wenyuan was not qualified to sit here, but Song Jiang said that Zhang Wenyuan had made great contributions and that such a talent must be kept, which made Zhang Wenyuan beam with joy.

Song Jiang looked at Shi Wenbin, and Shi Wenbin looked at Song Jiang. Song Jiang gestured for Shi Wenbin to speak, but Shi Wenbin spoke directly, "Gongming, you should speak."

Song Jiang admired Shi Wenbin quite a bit. Although Shi Wenbin wasn't particularly talented, he was very amiable and made his subordinates feel at ease, which was a great advantage.

In addition, Shi Wenbin was very good at listening to advice, so the people of Yuncheng were united and never suffered from banditry.

Since Shi Wenbin had asked Song Jiang to speak, Song Jiang didn't stand on ceremony and said, "This time, Qingyun Mountain has lost face, and they will definitely bring a large army to attack my Yuncheng, so we must take precautions in advance."

Shi Wenbin hesitated for a moment before asking, "Gongming, what makes you say that?"

Song Jiang organized his thoughts and replied, "Qingyun Mountain lost face before, and they always retaliate. This time, after we detained Di Lei's brother-in-law, they immediately sent five hundred men to burn and kill the Chen family and the county government office. Why would they send five hundred men?"

Song Jiang continued, "Because the two counties that Qingyun Mountain attacked before were counties around Yizhou Prefecture, it was very convenient to send troops from Qingyun Mountain. However, Yuncheng County is quite far from Yizhou Prefecture. If we were to send a large army here for the first time, it would be very troublesome to prepare food and supplies before setting off. In addition, the journey is not short. Under normal circumstances, Qingyun Mountain would not want to do such troublesome things. Therefore, we sent five hundred men to try to wipe out the Chen family and burn down the county government to give us a warning and also to deter others who dare to disobey Qingyun Mountain's orders."

Zhu Tong also asked, "How many people do you think Qingyun Mountain will send to break the rules this time?"

After thinking for a moment, Song Jiang replied, "Around five or six thousand, but it's hard to say, it won't exceed ten thousand."

Lei Heng asked, "Why five or six thousand?"

Song Jiang laughed and said, "Dancheng is not a fortified city with high walls. Five thousand men should be enough for them. Our entire garrison in Yuncheng only has a few hundred men. More men would only consume more food and supplies, so it is completely unnecessary."

Captain Liu asked, "So what's next? Scribe, please speak freely." This is no longer just a matter for one person; when the city falls, everyone will perish. Captain Liu naturally understood this, and he would do everything in his power to do whatever Song Jiang said!

Song Jiang said calmly, "Let's adopt a defensive strategy! We definitely can't engage in direct confrontation at the front; our priority should be defending the city."

Song Jiang walked up to Shi Wenbin and whispered a few words to him. Shi Wenbin nodded, but no one knew what they were talking about.

Soon, Song Jiang finished arranging things, and everyone dispersed, ready to enjoy a few days of peace.

At this moment, a yamen runner stepped forward and said, "Sir, Chao Gai, the head of Dongxi Village, is here looking for you!"

Song Jiang was overjoyed. When the surrounding villages were evacuated, Chao Gai was not in the manor but had gone out on business. Fearing that the news would not reach him, Song Jiang specially sent the Shadowless Brothers to look for Chao Gai, but they could not find him!

Unexpectedly, Chao Gai returned and came looking for him. Song Jiang's biggest worry was that on the day Qingyun Mountain besieged the city, Chao Gai would return to Dongxi Village or come to Yuncheng. If he happened to run into the people from Qingyun Mountain, wouldn't his life be in danger?

The two had not seen each other for a long time, so they talked for a long time. Song Jiang made a long story short, and Chao Gai also wanted to stay and fight the enemy with Song Jiang and the others!

In the afternoon, Song Jiang arrived at a room where a person was lying on the bed. It was Xu Fu, whose ribs had been broken by Lei Heng. At this time, he was completely unable to move and could only lie there. Of course, to prevent him from escaping, his hands were still locked with shackles, the other end of which was locked to an iron frame. This was also a method used in later generations to prevent prisoners from escaping.

Although Xu Fu was unable to move, he was still conscious. When he saw Song Jiang come in, he gave a bitter smile and said nothing.

Song Jiang found a stool and sat down, saying, "Although you have broken your ribs, once the doctor sets them and you rest for a while, you will fully recover."

Xu Fu said, "Thank you, clerk."

Song Jiang looked at Xu Fu and laughed, "I didn't expect Qingyun Mountain to have so many talented people."

Xu Fu quickly replied, "You flatter me, Clerk. I'm just a nobody at Qingyun Mountain."

Song Jiang asked, "Do you know someone named Xu Guang?"

Xu Fu nodded slightly and said, "That's my elder brother."

Song Jiang smiled faintly and said, "You and your brother are very alert and were able to see through part of my plan. I underestimated you."

Xu Fu smiled wryly, "They were all caught in one fell swoop by the clerk, it's not worth mentioning."

Song Jiang didn't intend to beat around the bush and said, "If you surrender, you can be spared death."

Xu Fu asked doubtfully, "I've already been captured by the clerk, so how can you talk about surrendering?"

Song Jiang said, "Is it possible for you to submit to us?"

Xu Fu shook his head without hesitation and said, "Chief Di has been incredibly kind to us. I would never betray him."

Song Jiang admired the loyalty of these people to some extent, so he didn't force them. He simply said, "Think it over carefully." After saying that, he prepared to leave.

Xu Fu hurriedly called out, "Clerk, please wait!"

Song Jiang turned around and asked, "Is there anything else?"

Xu Fu asked, "I'd like to ask, if we had taken the alleyway last night, what kind of ambush would we have encountered?"

Song Jiang sat down again and said, "There are iron nails on the ground. If you are blocked from the front and back, you will become a hedgehog. Even if you force your way through, the situation will be the same when you get to the county government office. The only difference is that there will be less kerosene."

Xu Fu sighed and said, "Since the clerk asked me for my brother's name, it seems he has also fallen into your hands."

Song Jiang nodded and said, "That's right."

Xu Fu closed his eyes and said, "The clerk is truly terrifying. He has calculated every single step we take. I don't know if going against you this time was the right or wrong choice."

Song Jiang had always had a question: why did Qingyun Mountain choose the wealthy Chen family as their target for extortion? Was it a random choice? It couldn't be; there was clearly a deliberate selection. After all, there were quite a few wealthy families in Yizhou Prefecture. So he asked, "Qingyun Mountain isn't far from Yuncheng, but it's not exactly close either. Why did you choose the Chen family?"

Xu Fu heard Song Jiang's words, but he remained silent while lying in bed.

Song Jiang smiled and continued, "If no one was behind him, Di Lei wouldn't have come to Yuncheng to find Master Chen."

O

Xu Fu hesitated for a moment before saying, "I could never betray the boss. I hope Clerk Song will understand."

Song Jiang stood up and said, "Think it over carefully before you come to me." After saying that, he stood up and left the room.

Xu Fu's answer confirmed Song Jiang's guess. Sure enough, someone was instigating it from behind. He just didn't know who it was. It was obvious that this person was telling Qingyun Mountain to find Chen Da Hu, but Chen Da Hu refused to pay. So, he told Qingyun Mountain to attack Yuncheng. One thing was certain: this person was definitely not from Qingyun Mountain. So, was his target Chen Da Hu?

Chen, the wealthy man, was an enemy from their past business dealings. Song Jiang thought it was unlikely. So, he was either after Yuncheng County, or Shi Wenbin, or himself. Shi Wenbin never left Dancheng and wouldn't have made enemies, so it could only be himself.

It's highly likely they're after me, so I need to think about who I've offended since I came here. Could it be Zhu Biao?

However, Zhu Biao was unaware of his own identity that day; otherwise, he wouldn't have caused such a misunderstanding with Wang Ying. Shi Xiu and the others were also in Zhu Family Village, so any unusual activity could have been reported!

Could it be the time when the bandits from Qingyun Mountain were eliminated in the dense forest? But on that occasion, all the survivors were doing hard labor on Liangshan, and the bodies of the dead were buried, making it virtually impossible for them to be discovered. Song Jiang could be quite certain that there was no one else around at the time. Moreover, why would Qingyun Mountain need to go through such trouble to seek revenge?

The heartless couple at Shizipo? They've already been eliminated by me, and Guanghui has gone to hunt down the rest. Besides, Zhang Qing and his wife are the lowest of the low. Even if they wanted to go to Qingyun Mountain, Di Lei wouldn't bother with them unless they offered a high price, which is unlikely for that stingy couple. Moreover, even if they were alive, they might not dare to oppose me again. So who is it?

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