Magical Water Margin: They all call me brother

Page 66

Chapter 152: The Wise Man Forms an Alliance with Liangshan

"Master, please calm down! You came to seek alms from Chief Chao. He has already given you rice, so why are you so angry? My sisters are just a little impatient; you must not harm them!"

Chao Gai immediately shouted.

"So you are the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King. This humble Taoist greets you."

Seeing that the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King had finally appeared, the female Taoist priest bowed respectfully and introduced the way.

"My surname is Gongsun, my given name is Sheng, and my Taoist name is Master Yiqing."

I am a native of Jizhou. From a young age, I was fond of practicing martial arts in my hometown and mastered many skills. People called me Gongsun Sheng Dalang. Because I learned the Five Thunder Orthodox Method, which combines water and electricity, I can also summon wind and rain, thunder and lightning, and ride the clouds. In the martial arts world, I am known as Gongsun Sheng, the Cloud Dragon.

I have long admired the esteemed headman of Dongxi Village in Yuncheng County, but have never had the opportunity to meet him. I now possess 100,000 strings of gold and jewels, which I present to the headman as a token of my respect. I wonder if this righteous man would accept them?!

After hearing this, Chao Gai breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that this person also wanted to rob the birthday gifts. This person's Taoist skills were really amazing. He immediately responded with a big laugh.

"What you're referring to, sir, could it be the birthday tribute from Daming Prefecture?!"

Gongsun Sheng's eyes lit up: "How did the headman know that?"

Chao Gai walked over with a smile and helped Liu Tang and the three Ruan brothers up: "I've just made a wild guess. I wonder if it suits your taste, Daoist?"

Seeing that Chao Gai had the same idea as him, Gongsun Sheng couldn't help but say, "This path to wealth and power is not to be missed! As the ancients said, 'If you don't seize it when it's your time, you'll regret it later!' What do you think, sir?!"

"Alright! Then please come into the manor, Taoist priest, and we'll discuss this in detail!"

Chao Gai was overjoyed to have such a powerful Taoist priest. He pulled Gongsun Sheng into the manor. Liu Tang and the three Ruan brothers were also unharmed. Gongsun Sheng had looked very dangerous just now, but he stopped in the end. He only increased the paralyzing power of the lightning and did not hurt anyone too much. The four of them were also sincerely impressed by the powerful Taoist priest. They were both respectful and fearful of him.

After the eight men gathered, they discussed the robbery and arranged their seating. Chao Gai sat in the first seat, Wu Yong in the second, Gongsun Sheng in the third, Liu Tang in the fourth, Ruan Xiaoer in the fifth, Ruan Xiaowu in the sixth, Ruan Xiaoqi in the seventh, and Bai Sheng in the eighth. Only then did they drink, rearrange the dishes, and prepare more food and drink!

After some effort, the group acquired eight generals, 500 village soldiers with one or two warrior ranks, about 1000 unranked militiamen, forty or fifty small boats, and thirty ordinary packhorses.

This is the maximum number of troops that a few people can muster.

Wu Yong frowned, constantly using divination magic to predict the path to victory, only to discover that his forces were still insufficient! Those were 500 Imperial Guard cavalrymen, each at least level six! His own numbers were far too small to stop them. Wu Yong spent an entire afternoon devising ninety-nine different strategies, only to be astonished to find that they all ultimately failed.

There are only three key points.

First of all, the three Ruan sisters are mermaids. Their fighting ability against the other mermaid fishermen in Shijie Village would be greatly reduced on land. They can only unleash their full power in the water! However, the last time the birthday tribute was robbed by the Great Sage Equaling Heaven in the river, it gave Liang Zhongshu a psychological trauma. This time, he would rather die than take the waterway.

Secondly, there were three powerful generals escorting the birthday gifts. Li Cheng was alright; although he was strong, he could be easily defeated by someone like Chao Gai, who could withstand the weight of a tower, or the valiant Liu Tang. Wen Da, however, was actually the reincarnation of one of the Thirty-Six Thunder Generals, immune to lightning, making him a perfect counter to Gongsun Sheng's Five Thunder Orthodox Technique. As for Lu Junyi—who was she? Why couldn't I predict her?!

Finally, there was the troublesome problem of cavalry. Wu Yong racked his brains and exhausted all his knowledge, but even a skilled cook cannot cook without rice. Trying to use 500 level-one warriors and more than 1000 unemployed militiamen to trap 500 level-six cavalrymen was extremely difficult.

Wu Yong broadened her thinking and considered carefully whether there were any helpers nearby. When she turned her attention to Liangshan Marsh, she suddenly had a breakthrough.

That's right! Isn't there Liangshan Marsh nearby? Our group alone can't handle it, but with Liangshan Marsh's thousands of soldiers and eight fierce generals, our strength more than doubles! If we can borrow Liangshan Marsh's troops, our chances of joining forces and robbing the birthday gifts will greatly increase! Not to mention, Leopard Head Lin Chong, Blue-Faced Beast Yang Zhi, and Vanguard Suo Chao are all formidable generals of our time!

Wu Yong excitedly revealed his thoughts, and Chao Gai and the others slapped their thighs in agreement, immediately deciding to make their first contact with Liangshan.

The group immediately prepared to head to Liangshan Marsh, but Zhu Gui of the Southern Inn caught them red-handed and immediately sent a crocodile to Liu Hong to deliver a message, revealing the group's arrival in detail!

Meanwhile, Liu Hong was also very excited. He definitely wanted to rob the birthday tribute this time, but Liang Zhongshu had gone all out this time, and Liu Hong was not confident of victory.

But now, if Chao Gai's old gang is willing to join forces with him, not to mention Gongsun Sheng, Wu Yong, and Chao Gai, they are all first-rate heroes!

Liu Hong immediately mustered his troops and went to the dock to welcome Chao Gai and his men. Together they went up Liangshan. Chao Gai, being an impatient man, cut to the chase and revealed his plan: "This is a birthday gift of 100,000 strings of cash! Great Sage, would you like to join me in taking it?"

"Your Majesty, to be honest, I don't have much interest in this 'Wealth and Prosperity' painting. Liangshan robbed the birthday tribute once and still hasn't finished it. We've also beaten up countless local tyrants and bullies. Liangshan isn't short of money right now."

Liu Hong really wanted to agree; who would complain about having too much money?

However, these days, the one being asked for favors is the boss. Since you, Chao Gai, have asked me for something, you should at least show some sincerity, right?

He carefully observed the group. Chao Gai was a level 9 warrior, seemingly on par with Suo Chao; he was at the level of the Eight Tiger Generals. However, Wu Yong and Gongsun Sheng were quite intimidating!

This Wu Yong is actually a level 12 Pleasure Demon, a demon from purgatory, a superior demon of lust. It's terrifying. This kind of monster comes with 12 spellcasting levels, and while possessing the physical attributes of a demon, he's equivalent to a level 12 mage.

Gongsun Sheng's level is even more abstract: a level 9 Blue Dragon Warlock, plus a level 2 Storm Priest, plus a level 1 Scale Armor Monk, making him a top-tier level 12 spellcaster.

"Great Sage, I can give you a reason you can't refuse."

Before Chao Gai could speak, Wu Yong stepped out from the side. His dignified scholar's robe could not conceal his alluring figure, and his elegant headdress could not hide his enchanting face.

Liu Hong looked at this devil from purgatory with curiosity, wanting to see what suggestions she could offer that would interest him.

"I have some knowledge of the art of prophecy and divination. I guess that the Great Sage brought back a very ancient teleportation portal from Chenqiao Post Station. There are urgent matters that need to be dealt with at regular intervals. Perhaps someone close to the Great Sage disappeared through this portal."

"Once this matter is accomplished, the birthday tribute will be split equally between our two families. Furthermore, whatever the Great Sage wishes to do with this teleportation portal, I will go through fire and water for you!"

Wu Yong proudly puffed out his chest and casually offered a reason that Liu Hong could not refuse.

Chapter 153: The Yellow Dragon God Overturns Rivers and Seas

Liu Hong frowned as he carefully observed Wu Yong. She was a level 12 pleasure demon, and she had just spoken out her biggest wish: to determine the location of Wu Song and Lu Zhisheng through the teleportation portal. Her prophetic skills were indeed impressive, and the wise strategist in the Water Margin was indeed a top-notch advisor and strategist. Joining forces with them might not be a bad thing.

After careful consideration, Liu Hong finally made up his mind, a surprised smile appearing on his face. He bowed to Chao Gai and Wu Yong.

"From today onwards, we are brothers and sisters from different fathers and mothers!"

Chao Gai was overjoyed upon hearing this. The Liangshan leaders then slaughtered pigs and sheep in front of the Guan Yu Temple, swore an oath of brotherhood and sisterhood, and decided to seize the birthday gifts together! Just like last time.

With everything prepared, Liu Hong, as the chosen champion of the Jidu Dragon King, offered sacrifices to the Jidu Dragon King at the Jidu Temple. And this time, Ao Ying appeared once again.

"Are they going to rob the birthday gifts again? This time, one of their targets is quite special, so you need to be careful."

Ao Ying sat arrogantly on her altar, crossed one beautiful leg, and swung it back and forth. The perfect outline of her jade-like leg was faintly visible through the seam of her skirt.

Are you referring to Lu Junyi?

With his left hand holding the intelligence documents brought back by the Liangshan members, and his right hand holding the investigation letters from Liu Tang, Wu Yong, and others, Liu Hong pieced together the intelligence from both families.

This person is truly outrageous. His martial arts skills are probably the ceiling of Liangshan. He has countless famous achievements, two of which are even more incredible: one is that Lu Junyi fought Guan Sheng and Lin Chong one-on-one, and the two were evenly matched.

Another battle was where Lu Junyi fought four generals of the Eight Tiger Generals rank, such as Yang Zhi and Suo Chao, one by one. She fought for several hours and became more and more courageous. In the end, she killed one and drove away three. Then, she charged back and forth among the five thousand Liao soldiers on horseback, as if she were in an empty field. The five thousand Liao soldiers could not stop her at all!

"No, not her."

Ao Ying shook his head and casually picked up a tribute item to eat.

"Let me tell you the essence of God. The same concepts and the same emotions will coalesce into physical entities in the reflection world, which are warp beings: demons, angels, ghosts, immortals, call them whatever you want. They feed on the emotions of mortals or absorb mortal concepts to strengthen themselves."

However, mortals have only so many emotions and concepts; if you take a bite, I take one less. Therefore, subdimensional beings with the same concepts and emotions will attract each other, devour each other, and seize each other's concepts and essence. For example, the four dragon kings of the Ji River, Huang River, Huai River, and Jiang River, although each has different abilities, we all have the essence of "great river" and "dragon," so we usually compete with each other, devour each other, and our relationship is not very good.

Ao Ying briefly described the basic principles of subspace life.

"And I also possess [Shadow], [Thunder], and two subspace essences. Do you understand?"

"It is said that Wen Da, the Great Saber, is the reincarnation of one of the Thirty-Six Generals of the Thunder Department. He is also a subspace being with the subspace essence of [Thunder]. Do you want to eat him?"

Liu Hong was incredibly clever; in a flash, he understood what Ao Ying was up to.

“That’s right. The Thirty-Six Generals of Thunder are just stronger demons, far from reaching the concept of a true god. But if I can devour their concept of thunder, my thunder power will be even more powerful! At that time, this reverse scale I gave you will also be able to unleash an even more terrifying thunderous might. This is a win-win cooperation between us.”

Ao Ying was very satisfied with his chosen champion.

"In the future, if you find a subspace creature with the same concepts of [Shadow] and [Thunder], and you offer it to me, my power and the reverse scale you receive will continue to grow."

"Then why don't you do it yourself?"

Liu Hong asked curiously.

"I don't know how strong you are, but in my opinion, killing Wen Da is just a snap of your fingers."

"No, I can't make a move."

Ao Ying pondered how to explain himself.

"Don't be fooled by our strength. Subspace beings don't have their own physical form. Even now, as I manifest in the mortal realm, I am constantly consuming my own power. I need to continuously draw upon the faith and concepts of mortals to maintain my strength indefinitely."

"But once the gods personally engage in battle, the entire mortal realm will instantly become a hellish wasteland littered with corpses! The tragic scene of exposed bones and no roosters crowing for miles has been repeated many times. Even the victors of the divine war will only be left with a burning ruin. At that time, even the victory itself will become meaningless."

"Therefore, we reached an agreement internally—that all the gods can only support their agents to fight in the mortal realm, and must never personally intervene."

"Then why was this Wen Da, the one with the big sword, able to do it himself?"

Liu Hong asked in surprise.

"According to you, he was reincarnated. The essence of the Warp squeezed into the body of an infant, taking his place to grow and experience everything in the mortal world. This has advantages: walking in the mortal world does not consume a lot of energy, but the cost is that a lot of divine power cannot be used. Unless he dies and is banished back to the Warp, that power of thunder can gradually be restored."

Ao Ying patiently explained her plan.

"And what you must do is kill him, and before his soul escapes back into the warp, capture him with my reverse scale! Offer that warp essence to me! Offer it to the Dragon God of Jidu!!!"

"The Dragon King of Jidu spoke with fervor."

"As you wish. But there is a problem. The enemy cavalry is indeed too fast, and they do not take the river route, so it is really difficult for me to intercept them. Chao Gai and I together can only muster forty mounted infantrymen."

Liu Hong voiced his biggest worry, but Ao Ying simply waved his hand dismissively.

"This is the least important thing. Just watch me and wait for good news!"

As soon as Ao Ying finished speaking, he disappeared. It was the third day of the sixth lunar month, a sweltering summer day. Suddenly, dark clouds covered the sky, and torrential rain poured down. The terrifying rain continued for three days and three nights. Then, terrible news came from the north: the Yellow River had swelled up during the summer rains and had breached its banks yet again!

"Damn the Dragon King of Jidu! Finding a lover is one thing, but to brag about it in front of me?!"

In the darkness, a delicate little girl dressed in yellow was stirring up trouble in the great river, consumed by jealousy! Her skin was like solidified cream, her bones like jade, and the yellow silk robe she wore was actually made of living things—thousands of four-clawed yellow pythons, entwined around her petite and adorable pink body. Thousands of golden dragon scales opened and closed with the little girl's breath, and the sash hanging from her waist was actually made of nine fine-scaled golden snakes coiled around her.

Whenever anger surged, her golden hair would shoot straight up into the sky, like thousands of terrifying flying dragons soaring into the heavens!

"I don't care! I want to be the chosen champion! I want Liangshan Marsh to build the Yellow River Dragon God Temple! Hey? Where did this dam come from? It's so low, I can't see it in the blind spot! Let's flood it!!!"

Just look at the unpredictable Yellow River Dragon God, who could summon wind and rain, thunder and lightning, with his tender and adorable face displaying a childlike smile. This had nothing to do with good or evil, but was simply a child's instinct. The people on both sides of the Yellow River were so frightened that their legs trembled, and they all knelt down and cried out for their mother.

"Dragon God Huangdu, spare my life!"

"The Yellow River is our mother river! Why are you so turbulent!"

"Huangdu Dragon Goddess is a woman who could potentially become my mother."

The seemingly delicate and adorable, yet with a capricious and violent expression, Huang Du Loli snorted coldly, showing no appreciation, and continued to stir up the raging waves! She even uttered sarcastic remarks. Her actions were merely a normal flood, or a battle against the Ji River, and could not be considered interference in human affairs.

"To save his own life, he's even calling for his mother? What a coward, a complete coward! A complete coward!!!"

The Yellow River Dragon God walked forward mercilessly, rushing forward. As his bare jade feet trod across the muddy river surface, the arches of his feet curved into a deadly crescent shape. Through the tear in his robes, one could see the intricate patterns of writhing yellow dragons etched on his collarbone. Three inches below his navel, a dragon pearl sealed the essence of the entire river, reflecting a lustful shimmer with the sway of his waist.

"I don't care! I want sacrifices! I want lots of sacrifices! I want lots of chosen gods! Chosen gods more powerful than the stinking Jidu! I want you, you, and you! Come here! Enter my Dragon Palace!"

The volatile little girl drove the river, wantonly flooding fields amidst the thunder and lightning of the storm. She devoured crowds, muttering incomprehensible things like, "Haven't you heard of a river on the ground?" "Who says a river has to be lower than the ground?" "I just saw some high ground and changed course." "Go tell your emperor's disaster relief grain!" "We're all trying our best to flow," and so on.

When Wenda and Li Cheng arrived at the north bank of the Yellow River with five hundred cavalry, they were astonished. Was the Yellow River flooding this bad this year? Originally, they had planned to take a boat to the south bank of the Yellow River and then continue their journey by land. But now, looking at the situation, land? Where was the land route?!

Chapter 154: Lei Jiangwenda is exhausted

The group was trapped on the banks of the Yellow River, looking at each other and discussing their plans. Beside them, a tall, incredibly beautiful woman in white, standing at 2.7 meters tall, did not participate in the discussion or care how Wen Da and Li Cheng should handle the situation. She simply wielded a heavy iron rod weighing 82 jin (approximately 41 kg), swinging it with great force. The storm created by the rod even made soldiers three meters away look terrified and move away.

Her long, flowing black hair, formed from the darkness of night, was tied high with a silver crown adorned with dragon motifs, and a magnificent gold hairpin inlaid with thirty-six gemstones subtly corresponded to the number of the Heavenly Dipper. Her eyebrows, like jade blades from Kunlun Mountain, slanted diagonally into her temples; her eyes, like aloof icebergs, were cold and ruthless; her face, like a delicate peony, was dignified and graceful; and her lips, like blood-red autumn water, were captivating.

Wearing a plain silver lion-patterned armor lined with a dark, flowing cloud-patterned bodysuit, a dragon-embroidered sash with eight treasures held in the mouth of a beast dangled from his shoulder to his knees, its movement creating a star-like trail with each step. In his right hand, he wielded a hundred-pound iron cudgel that stirred up a whirlwind of energy, truly a master of martial arts, a jade unicorn whose spear and cudgel skills shook the heavens and earth. Loyal and courageous, he aided those in distress, his heroic spirit soaring like a rainbow.

"Is this person crazy? Apart from eating and sleeping, she seems to never stop practicing martial arts. Where did this martial arts fanatic come from?"

The first guard whispered among themselves.

"Otherwise, how could she have mastered such skills? She is none other than Lu Junyi, the Jade Kirin! Not to mention Daming Prefecture, there is probably no one in the entire Hebei province who can surpass her in spear and staff skills. Didn't you see General Wen fight her a few days ago? He was defeated in ten rounds! This person is terrifying."

The second Imperial Guard was filled with awe and respect.

"Stay away from her. This person is practicing martial arts even while traveling. That stick is so heavy that I can't even lift it. Getting grazed by it is no joke."

The third Imperial Guard was still shaken.

After a while, Wen Da and Li Cheng came up with a plan. They quickly dispatched scouts, hired fishermen, and scouted the roads and water conditions. Inevitably, they were delayed for a few days on the north bank of the Yellow River. Finally, after the water receded slightly, they were able to quickly cross the river and reach the south bank of the Yellow River.

However, at this moment, Anding County had been almost completely submerged by the Yellow River, leaving the group with only three options.

First: Forget about riding a horse, just take a boat and row all the way to Kaifeng along the Ji River.

Second: Take a longer route and avoid the Anding-Yuncheng line, as the area is now too muddy.

Third: Keep going recklessly, grit your teeth and keep charging along the long route! After the Yellow River recedes, this road is only a bit muddy now, which will at most affect the speed. Warhorses can still pass through at full speed.

Wen Da and Li Cheng looked at each other, finding it difficult to choose between the three options.

“The second option is definitely not going to work! We’ve already been delayed on the north bank for too long. If we take a longer route and fail to deliver the birthday gifts to Grand Tutor Cai’s residence by June 15th, our careers will be ruined!”

The warrior Wen Da, standing a full two and a half meters tall, clad in a full set of Northern Song Dynasty Mingguang armor, rode a strong and handsome warhorse. The armor plates reflected the blood-red light of the setting sun, making him appear like a moving black pagoda. Beneath his visor, his eyes were like two thunderous lakes, constantly shooting out fierce and violent light. His veined hands tightened the reins, and the warhorse's muscles bulged as it trampled the muddy ground. The long spears and curved swords of five hundred soldiers gleamed coldly, reflecting the terrifying lightning born from the Thunder God's presence, and the black sheen of their armor.