Chapter 111: I Know You Want Revenge—I Can Help You

Zhu Yongqing had endured for far too long. He had long wished to kill the Fu brothers—those arrogant, brainless buffoons—and be done with them.

However, he dared not act, nor did he dare to turn against them, even though his own true abilities were slightly superior to theirs. With just a flick of his finger, Zhu could have ended the lives of these two pieces of trash.

He did not fear the Fu brothers; he feared the person behind them—a reserve god of war whom the Chosen Ones of the Eastern District considered both a martial fanatic and a complete idiot: the Fist King, Fei Yanggu!

A fanatic of the bloodline theory, Fei Yanggu was never one for reason or the bigger picture; everyone knew his intelligence only reached a normal level when he was fighting or training.

This time, having gained the trust of the Mandate Khan, Zhu had been granted a golden opportunity to destroy the world and reap supreme rewards. If he performed well enough, he would surely stand out among the Manchurian Chosen Ones and become a powerhouse comparable to a god of war.

Yet, he never expected that this idiot Fei Yanggu would force two useless bags of straw upon him to cause trouble! This was the plot world of "Water Margin," the most brutal of the savage battlefields, where a single moment of carelessness could lead to a death without a burial ground. How could there be any room for dead weight to cling to his legs?

Zhu believed that if he remained burdened by these two pig-like teammates, he would have absolutely no hope of completing the task assigned by the Mandate Khan.

Therefore, he had to eliminate them. But he could not do it himself, because when they entered the mission world, Fei Yanggu had forcibly grouped them into a temporary team. If he attacked his teammates, it would be recorded by the Hall of Creation, and once they left the space, Fei Yanggu would find out. Zhu did not believe that after finishing this mission, he would be strong enough to defeat that renowned, strong-limbed, simple-minded King of Fists.

Though the Fu brothers were seen as trash by others—even the Mandate Khan looked down on them—in Fei Yanggu’s eyes, they were treasures, sacred and inviolable.

Thus, Zhu Yongqing had only one choice: to borrow a knife to kill. He had to use the drugged wine and "board-knife noodles" of the Flying Dragon Ridge black shop to dispose of his internal threats. To achieve his goal, he was even willing to sacrifice his own body, enduring humiliation and allowing the crippled brute Deng Yun to have his way with him.

It could be said that this Ji Dalong was truly an old, wily turtle who had only succeeded through endless patience; without such a resilient spirit, the great master Zhang Wuji would not have fallen into his hands.

After dealing with the staff at the Flying Dragon Ridge black shop, Zhu Yongqing set his sights on the bandit lair of Cold Beauty Mountain, not far away. He remembered clearly that there were two bandit kings on that mountain: one named Marshal Flying Sky Kuang Jinlong, and the other, General Soul-Snatcher Sha Mohai. They were cohorts of the black shop’s owners, Deng Yun and Mother Zhu.

Zhu Yongqing smiled coldly, looking at his blood-stained palms, and muttered to himself: "I hope these thieves have a little bit of skill, so I can absorb more internal energy with my Northern Profound Divine Skill."

Leaving aside Zhu Yongqing’s plan to deal with the bandits of Cold Beauty Mountain, let us return to the city of Dongjing, which had just experienced the chaos of the bandits storming the execution grounds.

Emperor Huizong was in a towering rage. The death of Prince Kang Zhao Gou, the rescue of the Huai-Xi rebel Wang Qing, and the countless casualties among the city guards were all the result of the incompetence of Marshal Gao Qiu.

In the Golden Palace, the Emperor unleashed a torrent of abuse. Gao Qiu kowtowed until his forehead bled, begging for mercy. It was only thanks to the intervention of Cai Jing, Yang Jian, and the other six treacherous ministers standing in solidarity that he avoided severe punishment.

The Emperor issued an imperial decree ordering Gao Qiu to redeem his crimes through service, bestowing upon him the golden seal and military tally. He was ordered to immediately assemble an army of one hundred thousand to suppress Mount Liang, and to capture the three great rebel leaders: Song Jiang, Wang Qing, and Chen Xizhen.

Chen Xizhen had been successfully framed by Yang Ye, solidifying his reputation as a traitor who murdered a prince, and he officially became the fifth greatest bandit in the world.

After being humiliated by the Emperor in the Golden Palace, Gao Qiu shifted his anger onto his advisor, Wen Huanzhang, ordering him to be imprisoned, beaten with eighty heavy staves, and exiled to Shamen Island.

Furthermore, Gao Qiu sent the Imperial Guards to ransack Wen Huanzhang’s home, intending to sell his daughter, Wen Xijun, into a brothel. However, the mission failed; the brutal guards arrived to find the house empty. The young lady was nowhere to be found.

The next day, the escorts transporting Wen Huanzhang ran into trouble. Two female bandits intercepted them on the road, shattered the shackles, and rescued the battered Wen Huanzhang.

Upon hearing this, Gao Qiu’s fury grew even more intense. He immediately added a charge of colluding with the Liangshan bandits to Wen Huanzhang’s list of crimes and issued a nationwide arrest warrant.

After dealing with the Wen Huanzhang affair, the Grand Marshal Gao Qiu mobilized ten thousand troops from each of the eight circuits under Dongjing’s jurisdiction, selected twenty-five thousand elites from the eighty thousand Imperial Guards of the capital, and placed them under the command of two fierce generals, Hu Chun and Cheng Ziming. He also conscripted the Iron Chariot Battalion, the Leopard Battalion, and the Gold Spear Squad to join the campaign.

At the recommendation of Tong Guan, Gao Qiu summoned the naval forces from Jiankang Prefecture in Jinling to assist. The commander of this naval force was named Liu Menglong. When he was born, his mother dreamt of a black dragon flying into her womb; after he grew up, he was renowned for his aquatic skills and mastery of water warfare.

Liu Menglong had achieved merit while suppressing rebels in the Sichuan gorges and had assisted Tong Guan in the campaign against Huai-Xi, directly destroying the stronghold of Wang Qing. He commanded fifteen thousand naval troops and five hundred warships, making his force the ace of the imperial navy.

Knowing that Liangshan was surrounded by eight hundred miles of water, Gao Qiu knew that capturing it would require naval warfare, so he brought in this brave and battle-hardened force. To ensure tight control, Gao Qiu sent his trusted subordinates, Dang Shixiong and Niu Bangxi, to serve as Liu Menglong’s deputies.

To vent his hatred for the death of his son, the Emperor also sent his personal sword-bearing guard, Wang Wenbin, with ten thousand Imperial Guards to assist Gao Qiu in suppressing the bandits. Thus, a force of one hundred and thirty thousand infantry, cavalry, and naval troops was assembled under Gao Qiu’s command, marching majestically toward Liangshan Marsh.

The army crossed the Yellow River and gathered beneath the walls of Jizhou. The Governor, Zhang Shuye, led his sons, Zhang Bofen and Zhang Zhongxiong, out of the city to welcome them and escort Gao Qiu and his commanders inside.

Once settled in the governor’s mansion, Marshal Gao issued orders: the troops were to establish camps in the vicinity, fell trees in the mountains, divert water from the lakes, and seize the property of the common people at will for military use. Within a single day of entering the city, the people of Jizhou were plunged into misery.

One day, Gao Qiu summoned his generals to discuss how to deal with the Liangshan bandits. Xu Huai stood forth and offered a plan:

"My Lord, the Liangshan bandits currently occupy Pu Prefecture and Jiaxiang, forming a pincer with their main stronghold. If we attack the nest directly, we risk being struck from the front and back. In my humble opinion, it would be better to send two elite forces: one to take Jiaxiang, the other to take Pu Prefecture, while leaving a third force in ambush on the road through Yuncheng County, which the Liangshan bandits must pass if they descend from the mountain."

"Lin Chong and Huyan Zhuo are both brave but lack strategy. They cannot withstand our fierce assault. If the Liangshan bandits do not come to rescue, both locations will be isolated. If they do come to rescue, we can surround the city and strike the reinforcements!"

Gao Qiu pondered for a moment and said, "Hulin, your plan is sound, but it lacks the men to execute it. Though Lin Chong and Huyan Zhuo lack strategy, their courage is peerless. Finding generals as fierce as they are within the imperial army is not easy."

Xu Huai stepped forward and advised, "My Lord, the commander of Jingde Town in Xinzhou, Yun Tianbiao, is a master of both literature and martial arts, well-versed in military strategy. His talent is like that of Guan Yunchang of the Three Kingdoms. If he leads the troops, they will surely be united in purpose. He is the perfect opponent for the dual-whip-wielding Huyan Zhuo."

Gao Qiu said, "I have heard the name of Yun Tianbiao. He is highly regarded by Zhong Shidao, so he must have true ability. Very well, I shall appoint him. I will also have the regional commanders Zhang Yinglei and Tao Zhenting assist him in taking Jiaxiang."

After finalizing the decision to have Yun Tianbiao attack Jiaxiang, Gao Qiu asked Xu Huai, "Hulin, now that the Jiaxiang front has a capable general, who should be sent to deal with Lin Chong at Pu Prefecture?"

Xu Huai replied, "The Inspector of Jinan Prefecture, He Taiping, is steady in his actions and has a keen eye. Having served for many years, he is well-loved by the people and the soldiers. He has two assistants. The first is General Zhang Ji. He holds a hereditary title, and while his skills are mediocre, his wife, Lady Jia, is extraordinary. She is an incredible heroine, full of wisdom and well-versed in all military affairs."

"Then there is the Fierce Tiger General, Jin Chengying. He was a martial arts graduate during the Zhenghe era. His arms possess the strength of a thousand catties, and his martial arts are peerless; he can move through ten thousand horses as if they were nothing. My Lord can appoint He Taiping as the general; with Lady Jia’s wisdom and Jin Chengying’s bravery, they will surely subdue Lin Chong at Pu Prefecture."

Upon hearing this, Gao Qiu was overjoyed: "Let it be as Hulin says. Let He Taiping handle that front. As for the most crucial force—the ambush at the foot of Liangshan—who should be sent?"

Xu Huai cupped his hands and said, "I am willing to share the burden for you, my Lord."

Gao Qiu stroked his beard and laughed heartily: "Good! Hulin, you are not only wise enough to plan for the state but also brave enough to shoulder heavy responsibilities. You are truly my backbone. Tomorrow I shall petition the Emperor to appoint you as the Military Inspector of Yuncheng Prefecture, in charge of the immediate defense against the Liangshan bandits."

Xu Huai bowed in gratitude: "I thank you, my Lord, for your cultivation."

The meeting concluded, and Gao Qiu executed the plan, sending out proclamations to summon Yun Tianbiao, He Taiping, Zhang Yinglei, Tao Zhenting, the couple Zhang Ji and Lady Jia, and Jin Chengying to the camp.

Before long, the heroes arrived one by one. Seeing Yun Tianbiao—with a face like a date, phoenix eyes, silkworm eyebrows, a dragon-like gait, a beard reaching his belly, and a voice like a bronze bell—Gao Qiu felt they were of the same spirit and was very pleased. He immediately gifted Yun Tianbiao a white Dawan horse capable of traveling a thousand miles a day to help him in battle.

The Emperor's decree arrived as well. As Gao Qiu recommended, Xu Huai was appointed Military Inspector of Yuncheng Prefecture. At the same time, Gao Qiu’s son, Gao Shide, was appointed Prefect of Cao Prefecture, in charge of logistics and provisions for the campaign, with all military affairs in Cao Prefecture delegated to Xu Huai.

It turned out that ever since Yang Ye had castrated him, Gao Ya’nei’s behavior had become increasingly reckless. No longer able to abduct women, he turned to the new "game" of hacking people down in the street.

Gao Shide’s nickname in Dongjing had changed from "Flower Rogue" to "Killing Rogue." Gao Qiu’s indulgence of this behavior was merely a means of self-defilement, intended to prevent the Emperor from becoming suspicious of him.

However, self-defilement had its limits. Gao Shide could abduct women, but hacking people in the street was unacceptable. In modern terms, this was an escalation from a public order issue to a criminal one.

Although Marshal Gao was powerful, he was not the most powerful man under the Emperor’s feet in the capital; he could not just kill whomever he pleased.

Gao Shide could go mad, but Marshal Gao could not go mad with him. When his behavior crossed the line of what Gao could tolerate, there was only one outcome: he would be completely discarded.

Therefore, Gao Qiu wanted Gao Shide out of the capital, sending this mad, hopeless, and infertile fake son to the most dangerous place to serve as a prefect at the foot of Liangshan.

As to what other purposes lay behind this, only Marshal Gao himself knew.

The next day, Yun Tianbiao and He Taiping accepted Gao Qiu’s orders, each leading thirty thousand troops, sweeping like a whirlwind toward Jiaxiang and Pu Prefecture.

The winds of war rose, and iron cavalry trampled the moonlight as they approached.

The direct confrontation between the Liangshan Marsh and Marshal Gao Qiu was about to begin.