Chapter 112: The Wife Seems Quite Pleased to Watch Her Husband Suffer

Nanwang Camp, also known as Nanwang Town, is situated at the intersection of Rencheng, Liangshan, Jiaxiang, and Wenshang counties. It serves as a vital military stronghold along the Jingdong Road, and legend has it that the tomb of the ancestral god of war, Chi You, lies right here.

On this day, a group of several hundred routed soldiers fled from within Nanwang Camp. They were in complete disarray, looking wretched, with many left completely unarmed. Their leaders were two mounted generals—one clad in black armor, the other in red—each riding a sorry nag, leading the remnants in a desperate flight toward Mount Liang.

As the scattered soldiers were marching, a troop of cavalry suddenly burst from the woods, blocking their path. These men were equipped with iron helmets and armor, their faces hidden behind bronze ghost masks; at a glance, they were clearly elite, battle-hardened cavalry. Leading them were five or six heroes, men and women, handsome and ugly, some mounted and some on foot, all radiating an awe-inspiring presence that suggested they were far from ordinary bandits.

The two leaders of the routed soldiers had sharp eyes and recognized a familiar face among the group: a tiger-faced wandering monk, eight feet tall, wearing a gold headband and bone beads, wielding a pair of fine steel ring-blades in his hands. Like children finding their mother, they scrambled off their horses and kowtowed, crying out, "Brother Wu, save us!"

Wu Song took a closer look and realized these were indeed familiar faces—brothers from Mount Liang: General of Holy Water, Shan Tinggui, and General of Divine Fire, Wei Dingguo. Wu Song hurried forward to help them up, asking, "Brothers, why are you in such a state?"

Shan Tinggui gave a bitter smile and recounted the events. They had been ordered by the Twin Whips, Huyan Zhuo, to guard Nanwang Camp alongside the Spirit of the Dangerous Path, Yu Baosi, and the Quick-Flash, Wang Dingliu. Though they occasionally raided wealthy landowners, they never harmed the common folk, and thus their tenure had been peaceful.

Early this month, while patrolling the villages, Shan Tinggui had met a man named Yang Tengjiao. A native of Nanwang with a talent for blacksmithing, Yang possessed great physical strength, skill with the spear and staff, and a rudimentary education. Finding him kindred, Shan took him on as a personal subordinate. But appearances can be deceiving, and Shan had unknowingly brought a wolf into the fold—a disaster that would destroy the Liangshan stronghold.

Yang Tengjiao harbored deep malice toward the Liangshan heroes, seeking only a chance to assassinate Shan and Wei to reclaim the camp and claim credit with the authorities. Though Shan and Wei were not invincible, they were formidable; one specialized in water-based tactics and the other in fire weaponry, each commanding five hundred elite troops. In a pitched battle, their forces were far more terrifying than those led by the Five Tiger Generals of Liangshan. Fearing their prowess, Yang waited until they were away training their troops before launching his rebellion.

Having built a reputation among the local ruffians, Yang rallied nearly a thousand men. That night, he snuck into the camp, assassinated Yu Baosi and Wang Dingliu, and slaughtered the leaderless soldiers. Shan and Wei rushed back upon hearing the news, only to fall into Yang’s ambush; their elite troops were decimated before they could mount a proper defense.

Seeing the situation was lost, the two generals fled for their lives, leaving Yang Tengjiao and his gang in control of Nanwang Camp.

After hearing their account, Wu Song was consumed with rage. His eyes widened, and he prepared to charge back to Nanwang to kill Yang Tengjiao and avenge his fallen brothers. Just then, a man stepped from behind him, grabbed the tiger-slayer’s arm, and stopped his rampage, whispering, "Brother, you must not be so rash."

Shan and Wei were stunned. They knew Wu Song’s fierce temper; apart from Song Jiang, Zhou Tong, and Lu Zhishen, no one dared to restrain him. Did this man have a death wish?

Yet, Wu Song did not explode. His fury instantly subsided, and he turned to the man: "Brother Huyan, what do you suggest we do?"

The man who dared to restrain Wu Song was none other than Yang Ye, the No. 007 Savior, who had possessed the body of Huyan Zhuo. After the chaos in Dongjing, Yang Ye had returned to Mount Liang with Song Jiang. En route, Zhao Min had departed with Guan Jiahui to rescue an old acquaintance. During the journey, they received intelligence from Fan Tianxi in the capital that Gao Qiu was preparing a massive campaign against Mount Liang.

Knowing the layout of the Liangshan defenses—Lin Chong at Puzhou, Huyan Zhuo at Jiaxiang, and the Water and Fire Generals at Nanwang—Yang Ye, an expert in the *Chronicles of the Subjugation of the Bandits*, immediately anticipated the fall of Nanwang. He volunteered to support his "cousin" Huyan Zhuo, using the excuse of preparing for the imperial army's strategy of "breaking the wings before the core."

Seeing Wu Song ask for his plan, Yang Ye turned to the two generals: "Brothers, was the fortification of Nanwang solid?"

Shan replied, "After Brother Huyan stationed us there, we reinforced everything—parapets, moats, watchtowers, and siege weapons. Now, that thief Yang Tengjiao has seized it all."

Yang Ye pondered for a moment. "With Brother Wu and the Huai-Xi heroes here, reclaiming the camp is not difficult. The challenge is minimizing our casualties. Our Jishan heavy cavalry are fierce, but using cavalry for a siege is a military taboo."

Holding up two fingers, Yang Ye said, "I have a plan to retake Nanwang and slay Yang Tengjiao without the slightest effort."

Wu Song laughed, "I knew you had a way, Brother Huyan. What is the plan?"

When Yang Ye laid out his scheme, everyone was delighted. Even the despondent Water and Fire Generals regained their fighting spirit.

Late that night, Nanwang Camp was heavily guarded. Outside the stockade, two headless corpses were hung high, one of them nearly ten feet tall. Seated inside the gate was a burly man with a dark face and murderous eyes. Beside him lay a massive battle-axe, still stained with blood, and on the table before him sat two severed heads. This was Yang Tengjiao, the traitor who had killed Yu Baosi and Wang Dingliu.

He was one of the thirty-six "Thunder Generals" destined to oppose Liangshan. Yang Tengjiao was filled with ambition, dreaming of the gold, silver, and high office he would receive from the authorities tomorrow. He would no longer be the son of a lowly woodcutter—a label he had despised his entire life. He had abandoned his dying father to pursue his "noble" destiny, and now, he believed he had finally succeeded.

"Tomorrow, everyone will call me General Yang," he thought, looking at the heads of the two heroes.

But just then, a rhythmic, earth-shaking thunder of hooves erupted from outside the camp, rolling toward them like the sky collapsing.