Chapter 24: Killing Is Good!

Wu Song stood in the center of the arena, shouting. Among the three Zhu brothers—Zhu Long, Zhu Hu, and Zhu Biao—the strongest was actually Zhu Biao. However, their skills were primarily in spear and staff techniques, taught by their formidable master, Luan Tingyu.

Now that Zhu Biao had been defeated, and with his hand injured, the other two brothers felt no need to be reckless. Recognizing that these two visitors were truly extraordinary, they held back their words.

Hu Sanniang stepped forward, taking the lead. "Let me test your skills."

But the "Sky-Soaring Eagle" Li Ying reached out to stop her. "Sanniang, you might not be a match for him. Let me handle this..."

Li Ying, the future eleventh chair of Liangshan, was known for his administrative acumen, but his martial prowess was equally renowned throughout the pugilistic world.

He removed his fur cloak, stepped into the arena, and a servant handed him a solid iron spear. A leather pouch was strapped to his back, containing five small throwing knives. He was honorable enough to let Wu Song see his equipment clearly.

Wu Song, however, couldn't care less. He merely carried a large broadsword on his shoulder—the same one he had taken from Yu Baosi, a weapon of excellent quality.

"Master Li," Wu Song said, "I am not like my brother. He is kind-hearted, but when I fight, it is nothing but slaughter..."

Wu Song spoke these words to set the tone, hoping to avoid any unpleasantness later. To Li Ying, however, this sounded like arrogance.

Li Ying stepped forward and thrust his spear. Wu Song simply swung his broadsword, dodging the thrust with a subtle shift of his body. It was a hair's breadth away; to the onlookers, it was terrifyingly close. It was a display of immense boldness and supreme self-confidence; otherwise, who would dare such a risky move? Had he been even a fraction of a second slower, the spear would have run him through.

This was what Wu Song defined as blood-boiling ferocity—the feeling that every fight was a life-or-death struggle.

When Li Ying’s thrust missed and the broadsword came swinging down, he was forced to roll on the ground. As he scrambled to his feet, he realized he had fallen into a disadvantageous position. He expected Wu Song to press the attack, but strangely, Wu Song didn't follow up. Instead, he taunted, "Bring me your real skills!"

Wu Song was truly... quite the show-off. It was no wonder he had been so disliked during his time at Chai Jin’s estate. Chai Jin’s home was filled with outlaws and criminals who relied on his patronage to survive. With Wu Song behaving in such a way, those other heroes felt humiliated in front of their benefactor, and naturally, they grew to resent him.

Su Wu looked around, noting that the people here did not share that same dark, angry look. Indeed, there was no master here to please; they were all warriors simply exchanging martial arts, which made things much simpler. In this setting, Wu Song’s manner was exactly what a true hero should be.

Li Ying thrust his spear again, this time more conservatively, his weapon dancing in a dense, impenetrable web of steel that clashed against the broadsword.

"Good! The three manors of Mount Dulong truly live up to their reputation," Wu Song praised. He was a man who gave credit where it was due.

As soon as he finished speaking, his style changed. He swung his broadsword in a full circle, putting his immense strength into a single strike. Li Ying raised his spear to block, but the "clang" left him stunned, his arm numbed by the impact. Before he could recover, Wu Song launched a fierce kick. Wu Song was a master of all arts, but his hand-to-hand combat was particularly ruthless.

Li Ying staggered backward, unable to regain his balance. Without hesitation, Wu Song leaped forward to press the advantage.

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*

In mid-air, Wu Song saw three cold flickers of light. Even in the air, he twisted his body with impossible agility, shouting, "Fast and fierce! A fine throwing knife!"

Unfortunately, all three knives missed, and Wu Song landed firmly on his feet.

Li Ying sat on the ground, his hand still near the pouch on his back, but he did not throw the remaining two blades. "Brother Wu Song’s martial arts are truly rare," he said.

"You still have two knives left," Wu Song noted.

"If I couldn't hit you while you were in the air, I certainly won't hit you now that you are standing still," Li Ying said, rising and bowing. "I have learned much. Such skill is perhaps only matched by our instructor, Luan Tingyu."

Zhu Biao immediately offered, "I shall go and fetch the instructor at once."

Su Wu stepped in. "We shall meet again another day. We are in a great hurry, but when we have leisure, we shall certainly return to fulfill this invitation." He feared that if he stayed, this would never end.

Wu Song looked at his brother and added, "Indeed, indeed! There are true heroes here; we shall certainly visit often."

Seeing that Su Wu was truly intent on leaving, Zhu Biao stopped his attempt to fetch the master.

Hu Sanniang asked with a hint of disappointment, "Are you truly in such a rush? Can you not stay for another round and some fine wine, and leave tomorrow?"

"This is a matter of life and death," Su Wu replied. "We cannot delay."

Hu Sanniang frowned. "With Commander Su’s reputation, who would dare be your enemy? We of the three manors are known for our sense of justice. If you encounter trouble on the road, surely you can tell us?"

Zhu Biao chimed in, "Exactly! We have men and horses—what bandits could possibly stand against us?" Even Li Ying agreed, "If we can help, we certainly will..."

At that moment, hearing these words, Su Wu felt that while some were mere courtesies, others were sincere. He realized that this world of martial heroes had its own charm.

"We can handle it," Su Wu said, waving his hand.

Wu Song added with a grand gesture, "My brother and I, we meet soldiers with soldiers and water with earth. We fear no one."

"Then..." Hu Sanniang realized she could not keep them. "When will you return?"

Su Wu thought for a moment. "We have no time in the near future. Perhaps in a month or two..."

He walked toward the stables, truly ready to depart. As he and Wu Song mounted their horses, they bowed to the group. "It has been an honor to meet you all. We shall return to bother you another day. Farewell!"

The group returned the salute as the horses galloped away.

Hu Sanniang watched them leave. "I never imagined they would be so formidable."

Zhu Biao looked a bit dejected. "It is my lack of skill. I must train harder!"

Hu Sanniang suddenly suggested, "Since Commander Su is busy, why don't we find a time to visit them in Yanggu County?"

Li Ying nodded. "Since they are such heroes and he is a commander in Yanggu, which is nearby, it would be appropriate to visit."

Zhu Biao agreed, "I shall ask our instructor, Luan Tingyu, to join us."

"It is settled, then." As they spoke, Hu Sanniang looked down the road, but the figures were already gone.

On the road, Wu Song was in high spirits. "Brother, I must say, there are true heroes on Mount Dulong. If not for our urgent business, I would have liked to spar with each of them."

"There will be chances," Su Wu said. He looked back at Mount Dulong. It had grain, money, manpower, and a strategic location. How could he not have designs on such a place?

Two years later, Song Jiang of Liangshan would attack this place three times, turning the world dark with slaughter, all because the likes of Shi Qian had stolen a chicken. Su Wu was determined that such a tragedy would not come to pass.

"Brother, once we enter Dongping Prefecture, what shall we do?" Wu Song asked.

"First, we find Yu Baosi. He owes me a life!" Su Wu’s expression hardened. With his sword at his waist, his intent to kill was set.

"Killing is good!" Wu Song nodded in agreement.