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Thus, the seven instructors who charged forward were all annihilated by Liu Hong single-handedly.
Chapter 135: The Heroes of Liangshan Divide the Gold
"The Great Sage of Chaos is renowned, and seeing him today, I can confirm that his reputation is well-deserved! I admire him greatly!"
Yang Zhi clasped his hands in a fist salute. At this moment, he was also somewhat intimidated by Liu Hong's display of muscle. Liu Hong's speed was not a concern, and Lin Chong's explosive charging speed was also terrifying. However, he could still intercept Liu Hong for more than forty rounds with just his eye.
However, Liu Hong was actually a psychic, and his strange and unpredictable spells were somewhat difficult to defend against.
What's more troublesome is the Sixfold Heavenly Gang Slash. Lin Chong's skills all lie in agility and speed. To be honest, the eighteen-foot spear's destructive power is only average. It can't compare to Lu Zhisheng's pure violence. The hundred-pound water-milled Zen staff has a kind of numerical beauty when swung.
The lethality of the eighteen-foot spear also relied on Lin Chong's extremely superb martial arts skills and techniques; a spear piercing the heart would still result in death.
Conversely, as long as the enemy's skills and martial arts are not much worse than Lin Chong's, and you defend your vital points without thinking about attacking, you will not be defeated quickly, even if you can't even touch the hem of Lin Chong's clothes. After all, you have enough agility points.
But Liu Hong was different. He followed the same path of pure violence as Lu Zhisheng. The power of the Panlong Staff was terrifying to begin with. When combined with the Sixfold Heavenly Gang Slash, it would be so powerful that even a mere graze would cause injury, let alone pierce the heart.
"Looks like I don't need to attack from the flank anymore?!"
Yang Zhi gave a wry smile, looking at the Yuanwai Army's formation that was beginning to collapse, and marveled at Liangshan's extraordinary fighting power.
She thought Liangshan could win, but she didn't expect it to be so easy. The damage from firearms was secondary. After all, it was difficult for an ordinary person to survive a hit to the torso from a crossbow or a musket. The difference was not significant. However, the loud noise of the musket was extremely devastating to morale. Against the Song army and the wealthy soldiers, whose fighting spirit was generally low, it could cause a devastating blow to morale.
Not only was it like a thorn, but after fighting Lin Chong for more than forty rounds, he was already exhausted, his muscles were a little sore, and his fighting condition was declining.
That leopard-headed guy seemed to have lost his humanity. He was full of energy and tireless. After fighting me for forty rounds, he was still like a killing machine, charging around the battlefield as if it were empty. He could take the head of a general from among thousands of soldiers as easily as taking something out of a bag!
Her body was no longer made of flesh and blood, but was a supernatural demon forged from subspace energy.
At this moment, the Yuanwai Alliance was also in complete defeat. After the four hundred musketeers broke through the central formation, they quickly split into two halves, circled around to the rear of the enemy forces on the left and right flanks, and launched an attack in coordination with the Liangshan Marsh Guards to encircle and annihilate them.
Meanwhile, Lin Chong, Suo Chao, Lü Fang, and Guo Sheng, four valiant generals, led ten Liangshan cavalrymen, rampaging across the ground and charging wildly on both flanks, attempting to behead the four wealthy landowners.
The prelude to the rout began with the blood-stained jade-inlaid saddle of Master Zhang falling to the ground. The silk battle flag, once the pride of Master Zhang's army, was now trampled into a blood- and dust-stained shroud by the iron hooves of Liangshan. When Lin Chong's spear severed the first gilded banner, this anti-rebel coalition, cobbled together by seven powerful gentry, finally revealed its rottenness beneath the gilded and jade-inlaid facade in the flames of blood and fire.
The collapse of the right wing was most ironic. The two wealthy men armed their entire army to the teeth, equipping their elite retainers with luxurious studded leather armor, and even decorating some captains' armor with jewels. As a result, they were exposed as a disgrace amidst the roar of the Liangshan firearms camp, with jewels shattered and embedded in their flesh like shrapnel.
When the bullet pierced the leather and steel nails, the decorative gemstones became deadly hidden weapons embedded in the flesh. A captain of the household guards, while fleeing, pulled at the jade pendant at his waist, unaware that the blood-soaked silk ribbon had already broken his finger bones.
The rout of the Left Army was tinged with absurd luxury. The two wealthy men couldn't even ride horses; they went to the battlefield in chariots. The sandalwood carriages burst with an incomparable fragrance amidst the sparks. When Suo Chao smashed the chariot shaft with an axe, the flying jade shaft was sharper than the axe blade of Liangshan, slicing open the backs of the fleeing soldiers and revealing their white bones.
The most tragic fate befell Bao Yuanwai's personal guards. These pampered sons of noble families, adorned with hibiscus crowns and gilded swords at their waists, maintained their aristocratic bearing until death—even as bullets ripped open their bellies, they still used silk handkerchiefs to cover their bleeding throats. Their blood soaked through their Suzhou-embroidered battle robes, gleaming with an eerie peacock blue luster in the setting sun, much like the enamel glaze these men cherished.
The conscripted militia fell to the ground in droves, like felled stalks of wheat. They still wore the straw sandals they wore during spring plowing, and their coarse hemp leggings were soaked in blood and mud, turning a dark brown. Someone threw down the spear and rattan shield issued by the landlord. The shield bounced three times in the mud, just enough to cover a silk-clad corpse torn apart by a musket.
"Run! Run back to Shouzhang County!!!"
Several militia leaders tore their red military insignia off their collars and were scattered and fled by the surging Liangshan troops. At this moment, the seven armies of the seven wealthy men were unable to coordinate and command each other. The so-called two thousand troops were actually seven small groups of two or three hundred men each. They were defeated by the six hundred Liangshan soldiers who fought as a group!
At this moment, the entire riverbank became a burial ground for the wealthy and powerful. The rhinoceros-hide shield, sunk to the bottom, floated to the surface, its gold foil shimmering. The broken Longquan sword, nestled among the reeds, still hummed. A jade pendant inlaid with a cat's-eye stone was stuck in the cracked earth. As the pursuing Liangshan troops swept past, their iron hooves and straw sandals trampled not only the remains and scraps of flesh, but also the dignity and prestige that the powerful had cultivated for centuries.
Thus, the three battles of Liangshan ended in a great victory for Liangshan Marsh. In the battle between Liu Hong and Lin Chong, most of the local tyrants and evil gentry of medium level were wiped out. Only those who were not involved in the war, such as Chao Gai, Old Master Song, and the three Ruan brothers, as well as super-rich families like the Zhu Family Village, Li Family Village, and Hu Family Village, which were on par with Chai Jin, survived.
At this moment, the surrounding area of the Eight Hundred Li Water Margin turned pale at the mention of Liang. Liu Hong led his troops forward in one go, capturing seven strongholds in one night and destroying the lair of seven wealthy landowners.
As usual, one-third was distributed to all the local people to gain prestige.
One-third was brought back to Liangshan as public funds.
One-third of the brothers were rewarded according to their merits, and they each received their share, living happily ever after.
At this moment, Yang Zhi was also getting a little anxious at the victory celebration banquet. Why haven't you given me the money yet after you've divided it all?
At that very moment, Liu Hong took out his share of gold and silver, and even took out more from his own savings than he could have, giving Yang Zhi 10,000 strings of cash, leaving Yang Zhi dumbfounded.
Can there really be such a superior in the world? He doesn't withhold his subordinates' bonuses, and when a promise made on the battlefield can't be fulfilled, he'd rather use his own money to cover the losses than embezzle public funds? Am I dreaming?!
“Commander Yang, I know you yearn to restore the Yang family’s glory, to return to officialdom, and to make a name for yourself, but I was there when my sister fought her way out of the White Tiger Hall.”
Liu Hong picked up the seized porcelain bowl and toasted Yang Zhi.
"Gao Qiu is a real scoundrel. It's a pity that my sister killed his whole family that day, but Gao Qiu escaped! If you really want to go to Tokyo to seek an official position, I won't stop you, but remember, be careful!"
"Thank you, Great Sage! Thank you, Instructor! I, Yang Zhi, swear that if I am indeed reinstated to my official position after this trip, and if a conflict breaks out with Liangshan in the future, I will feign illness and resign to avoid any conflict with Liangshan."
Yang Zhi raised his wine cup and respectfully toasted Liu Hong and Lin Chong with a bowl of wine. The group drank heavily and got drunk all night. The next day, Yang Zhi took the 20,000 strings of cash and embarked on his journey to Tokyo. Liu Hong also went with him.
Several months have passed now, and things should have calmed down in Tokyo. Besides, the main culprit is Lin Chong, not me, Liu Hong. Now, it's time to try to rebuild the Ghost Fanlou underground in Tokyo.
Chapter 136: Gao Qiu's Rules at the Palace Guard (Bonus Chapter for 2400 Monthly Tickets!)
Lin Chong watched Yang Zhi's retreating figure and shook his head helplessly. That old scoundrel Gao Qiu would definitely torture her to death. But so what? No matter how bad Gao Qiu was, she wouldn't believe him at all.
As the saying goes, you can't teach someone everything, but you can learn something from experience. Anyway, she won't die, so let's leave it at that for now. My brother is going with her, so nothing should happen. While my brother is in Tokyo causing trouble at Fanlou, I'll get the Liangshan soldiers back into training.
In this battle, Liangshan captured countless soldiers and weapons. Combined with what they had captured last time, Liu Hong could use this equipment to arm a militia of three thousand men if he wished.
However, Liu Hong and Lin Chong, adhering to the principle of "better to have none than to have bad ones," were very cautious in expanding their army. They attracted well-equipped young men to join the army from the newly captured rural areas and fields of Liangshan. Eventually, they gradually expanded their force from 600 men to 1,000 men and established the Jizhou Camp after the Liangshan Camp.
In Liu Hong and Lin Chong's plan, each battalion of 500 men was to be capable of independent combat. Therefore, the ratio was three spearmen battalions and two musketeer battalions, with 100 men in each battalion. During the battle, the spearmen would hold the line for defense, while the musketeers would unleash their full firepower.
Meanwhile, the spearmen didn't need to be idle either. Like the high elves, all the soldiers in the Song army were equipped with bows and crossbows. For example, the Liangshan guards, though called shield and spearmen, could also use bows and arrows to provide decent ranged attacks.
Although Liu Hong had reached a consensus and made an agreement with all the county magistrates in the vicinity, he was still unsure. Such an agreement between officials and bandits was incredibly complex; it might not even be worth two ounces on the scale, but it could easily become a thousand pounds. Who knew when the truth would come out?
Therefore, the sense of crisis drove Liu Hong to frantically expand his army and prepare for training.
The government's promise not to beat you is their business.
But if one day the government breaks the agreement and finds out that they can't defeat Liangshan at all, that's my problem.
At this moment, under Liu Hong's control, the area influenced by Liangshan Marsh has expanded to seven counties, including Yuncheng, Shouzhang, Zhongdu, and Rencheng, which are all old territories.
Juye, the capital of Jeju, was also flooded by the Liangshan forces after the defeat of the Yuanwai Alliance. They secretly seized all the villages and fields outside the city walls.
Subsequently, Fan County and Anding also fell after the defeat of the Yuanwai Alliance. These two places were relatively far from Liangshan Marsh, but they were located at the junction of the Ji River and the Yellow River. Fan County, in particular, was an extremely important waterway. If Liangshan wanted to go to Daming Prefecture, they had to pass through Fan County.
Anding is a fertile land nestled between the Yellow River and the Ji River.
Today, the rural areas and farmland of these three counties have gradually been taken over by Liangshan.
Moreover, the hearts of the people in the surrounding area have completely turned to Liangshan.
Previously, the people were in a wait-and-see state. Yes, Liangshan has been very good to us, but how strong are you really? Can you defeat the local powerful families? What if we join Liangshan and you are defeated, and those powerful families come after us, causing our families to be destroyed?
Now, Liangshan has fought three battles: once annihilating the prefectural army, twice defeating the Yuncheng Xiang army, and three times crushing the private soldiers of wealthy landowners. This has truly boosted morale and confidence, and completely destroyed the superficial rule of the government and the actual rule of the powerful clans.
Today, Liangshan has firmly established itself as the overlord of the eight hundred li of marshland, with all 100,000 people around it submitting and surrendering. As a rising star, it has even surpassed the Zhu Family Village in terms of dominance!
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While Lin Chong was urgently building up the Liangshan army and troops, Liu Hong and Yang Zhi finally returned to Kaifeng and found a hotel to stay in. Liu Hong took some ruffians from Dongjing (Kaifeng) to rebuild the Guifanlou underground, while Yang Zhi also temporarily bid farewell and asked someone to come to the Privy Council to make arrangements.
She took out five thousand strings of cash from the gold and silver in the load and, after much pleading and running around, tried to get a position as a palace guard. It took her seven days of hard work to finally feed all the underlings in the palace guard's office.
He spent all his money before finally obtaining a document to see Grand Commandant Gao.
Yang Zhi breathed a sigh of relief; the first step was finally done. He then spent all 15,000 strings of cash to find a craftsman in Tokyo to carve a pair of fine jade vases, fill them with fresh seasonal flowers, and respectfully visited Gao Qiu.
At this moment, Gao Qiu was extremely depressed. His entire family was wiped out, his son was gone, and he himself, at the age of fifty or sixty, had suffered the calamity of his family's extermination. He felt that all hope in his life was lost, and he was in a daze, feeling that each day was like a year.
At that moment, he discovered that a military officer named Yang Zhi was requesting an audience.
After reading through all the previous documents, Gao Qiu's anger flared up, and he became even more wicked.
Damn it, the one who lost a whole boatload of precious stones and flowers last year was you?! Do you even know how much effort it took for us to work so hard last year, running around covering things up and managing to fool the Emperor?!
You ran really fast back then, huh? Fine, you're fast, I can't catch you. But after I finally managed to suppress the matter and the Emperor granted a general amnesty, you actually had the nerve to come back and ask me for an official position?
However, according to what others say, Yang Zhi is quite capable. I just lost Lin Chong, so I do need a capable lackey.
"Come here, bring that kid in. I want to see how big her face is!!!"
Gao Qiu was so angry that he laughed. In the end, he decided to summon Yang Zhi to see the quality of the jade. The woman with dragon scales and deer antlers on her left cheek entered the palace with great respect. She bowed and knelt before Gao Qiu and then presented him with a pair of jade bottles, which looked to be of good quality.
"Are these two jade vases a gift for me?"
Gao Qiu snorted coldly.
"Of course, this jade bottle is a humble gift from your subordinate to the Grand Commandant."
Yang Zhi knelt on the ground, took a deep breath, forced a smile, and looked up at the Grand Commandant. He had always despised sycophants, flatterers, and bribe-takers.
But I never imagined that one day I would be forced to become the kind of person I hated the most.
Gao Qiu frowned. Where did this greenhorn come from? Doesn't he even know the simplest bribery? You should say, "How dare I let the Grand Commandant bear the stigma of accepting bribes? I was just trying to impress the Grand Commandant with some clumsy tricks. How can you say that I am a bribe-taker?"
"How much is this jade bottle worth?"
Gao Qiu patiently played along with Yang Zhi.
“This humble servant sold all his family property and spent 15,000 strings of cash to build it.”
Yang Zhi spoke the truth, but this only made Gao Qiu despise her even more.
Only 15,000 strings of cash? When it's my birthday, I receive birthday gifts starting at 50,000. 15,000 strings of cash is indeed an astronomical figure for a low-ranking soldier like you, but for me, the Grand Commandant, it's just a drop in the ocean.
The low table in my house where I display vases is made of rosewood and golden nanmu, crafted by the best carpenters in Kaifeng. Each piece costs at least 100,000 strings of cash! This piece of junk on my table is an eyesore!
Trying to bribe this Grand Commandant with a mere 15,000 strings of cash? Who do you think you are!
Grand Commandant Gao was utterly disappointed, but because of his excessive disappointment, he was even a little curious about what kind of entertainment Yang Zhi, this incompetent official, could possibly provide for him. So he pretended to be angry and continued to ask questions.
"You audacious Yang Zhi!!! You lost the tribute of precious stones last year, and instead of returning to report it, you fled to avoid punishment. What were you thinking?!"
Upon hearing that Grand Commandant Gao was angry, Yang Zhi panicked. Her beautiful face was filled with fear as she hurriedly tried to explain.
"Grand Commandant! I am wronged! You know the condition of the Yellow River, even the calmest waves can be deadly!"
"I truly did my utmost! The Yellow River's waves submerged more than just my boat! I remember a merchant selling mercury and another selling medicinal herbs also capsized with me! The three of us struggled to escape! I almost died in the river myself! This was a natural disaster, not man-made!"
Seeing Yang Zhi desperately trying to explain, Gao Qiu was finally extremely disappointed.
An official appointed by the court is already committing a grave error by failing to fulfill his duties. You're asking me for a favor, and you're acting all aggrieved? Your aggrieved behavior is an attempt to claim you're innocent. Then whose fault is it that the tribute of precious stones was lost? Is it this Grand Commandant's? Or the Emperor's?
You think you can get me, the Grand Commandant, to take such a huge blame for a mere 15,000 strings of cash?
I heard from others that Yang Zhi's martial arts skills are comparable to Lin Chong's. I originally had the intention to appreciate his talent. But if this man says that the loss of the Flower and Stone Tribute is my fault, I dare to ask the Grand Commandant to reconsider my decision and give me the opportunity to serve under the Grand Commandant. I would be willing to give my life and follow the Grand Commandant's lead. If so, the Grand Commandant might consider bringing you back.
But now, this guy who doesn't even know how to bribe, who doesn't understand anything about officialdom, who can barely kneel down but still stands tall and proud... get out of here, get out of here!
Gao Qiu was immediately enraged.
"Of the ten officials who went to transport the precious stones and flowers, nine returned to the capital and handed them over, but you, you scoundrel, lost the entire shipment! You even fled to avoid punishment, and we couldn't catch you for a long time. And today you actually have the nerve to come back, asking for another official position?!"
Although His Majesty has pardoned your crimes, I am truly unable to entrust you with this task. Guards! Throw this commoner, Yang Zhi, out of the palace!!!
After speaking, Gao Qiu smashed both vases in front of Yang Zhi, crossed out all the documents, and slammed his hand on the table. Immediately, a large number of imperial guards rushed out from both sides of the Grand Commandant's mansion and beat Yang Zhi, who had exhausted his family fortune, was penniless, and looked astonished, away with sticks!
Chapter 137: Niu Er's Rampage on the Small Commercial Street
The dull thud of the scabbard hitting the steps in front of the hall startled Yang Zhi from her tinnitus. She staggered up from the steps, enduring the burning pain from the blows on her back, thighs, and arms, and reached into her bosom, only to find that her last bit of money was gone.
In order to regain his position as Commander of the Palace Guard, he sold his ancestral property and family wealth, and even took 10,000 strings of cash from Liu Hong. Now all of it has been spent. The precious jade vase that he bought at a cost of 15,000 strings of cash was smashed to pieces by Grand Commandant Gao like trash!
Those broken jade vases were not only the last wealth of Yang Zhi's entire family, but also her last faith and hope.
The price I paid was so high, and all I got in return was nothingness.
"You son of a bitch! You're offering over ten thousand strings of cash as a bribe to the Grand Commandant?! Who do you think you are?! Get your pile of trash and crawl away from the front of the Commander's Mansion!!!"
At this moment, Gao Qiu's new steward swept up the broken jade pieces scattered on the ground, wrapped them in a piece of silk, and threw them at Yang Zhi. The broken jade pieces rained down on Yang Zhi like raindrops, crashing to the ground with a clanging sound. The sharp edges of the jade pieces cut his cheeks, causing blood to flow profusely.
But looking at the jade fragments scattered on the ground, the wound in her heart was deeper than the scars on her face.
"You son of a bitch! You blue-faced beast, you always talk about your grandfather, the Five Marquises and the Commander-in-Chief, and you're quite proud of it. Why don't you tell me who your father is?!"
The new steward seemed to know quite a lot. Surrounded by the Imperial Guards, he stood at the entrance of the Palace Commander's Mansion, looking at Yang Zhi, who was bleeding amidst the jade fragments, and at the crowd of onlookers. He casually tore open the most painful scar in Yang Ye's heart.
"Look at that gold-inlaid dragon sword in your arms! This sword was given to the fourth son, Yang Yanhui, by the old lady She! Yes, that's the scoundrel who surrendered to the Liao Dynasty after being captured and even married a Liao princess!"
Since you yourself despise your father and don't want to talk about him, then stop mentioning your grandfather! What are you pretending to be, a loyal subject of the Song Dynasty?! Look at yourself, two and a half meters tall—is that even a normal Han Chinese person can achieve? You cannibalistic bastard!!!
Yang Zhi felt her heart bleed, her eyes filled with rage. She staggered to her feet, gripping the knife hilt tightly in her right hand, wanting to kill the man, but reason forcefully suppressed her actions.
I'm just an ordinary citizen now. At worst, I can go to the border of Western Xia and start all over again from the bottom as a soldier!
However, if I were to kill someone in front of the commander's mansion, I would truly be like Lin Chong, doomed to eternal damnation!
Yang Zhi took several deep breaths and finally suppressed the murderous intent in his heart. Dragging his injured body, he staggered to his feet. The pain in his heart was deeper than the physical pain.
In the shadows beneath the steps, half a piece of broken jade lay curled up. It was one of the few relics left by his father, but now it had been shattered into pieces by the Imperial Guards' clubs. The "Loyalty" character on the jade pendant, unique to the Yang family generals, was now broken into pieces, mixed with the fragments of the jade bottle, scattered all over the ground.