Chapter 33: Master Lin, a pleasure to meet you!

Ximen Qing continued to scan his surroundings, yet he was truly too terrified to emerge.

He then saw Wu Song heading in that direction, shouting, "You scoundrel, I shall go and finish you off with one strike."

Ximen Qing immediately stepped out, saying repeatedly, "Captain, Captain! I am merely a man who takes orders and runs errands; it was truly that Military Advisor Yun Liwan who orchestrated this entire affair..."

Wu Song lunged forward, hooked his blade around Ximen Qing’s neck, and hauled him back by the scruff of his collar. Under Wu Song’s immense strength, Ximen Qing’s legs scrambled frantically until he was brought before Su Wu.

Wu Song lifted his leg and kicked the back of Ximen Qing’s calves: "Kneel and speak to my brother."

Ximen Qing, having no choice but to kneel, opened his mouth to offer further excuses, but seeing Su Wu wave a hand, he turned to ask, "And what of the other hero from the Liangshan Marsh?"

The Red-Haired Demon, Liu Tang, had already assessed the situation and shouted, "I know not which hero stands before me, but I am a brother under the command of Heavenly King Chao, and I have deep ties with Clerk Song..."

Liu Tang recited the most illustrious names he could think of; the Tower-Shifting Heavenly King, Chao Gai, held great renown throughout the surrounding prefectures. Clerk Song Jiang of Yuncheng was the "Timely Rain" of the underworld; whenever any outlaw sought his aid, he was always generous with his wealth, and countless men across the Shandong region had benefited from his benevolence.

If one were dealing with ordinary outlaws, invoking these two names often produced miraculous results.

However, this time, it seemed ineffective. Although the men wielding bows and crossbows looked as if they belonged to some mountain stronghold, not a single one of them showed any reaction.

Instead, a burly man walked up to the Captain and bowed: "Brother, our boys didn't lose face, did they?"

Su Wu merely praised them: "The brothers' archery skills are astonishing; it has truly opened my eyes."

"Heh heh... you flatter us, Brother." Lin Mao bowed, grinning broadly, then turned away: "Brother, I shall go and drag that fellow over!"

With that, Lin Mao drew his wood-chopping blade and headed toward Liu Tang’s hiding spot. A few men followed closely, each with bows drawn and arrows nocked, moving with caution.

"Come out!" Lin Mao shouted as he approached.

Liu Tang, realizing the situation, rose from behind a tree and emerged, his heavy broadsword already set aside. He eyed Lin Mao and asked, "Brother, which mountain stronghold are you from?"

"Tie him up!" Lin Mao waved his hand.

The men swarmed forward and, in a flurry of movement, bound Liu Tang tightly before dragging him before Su Wu.

"Which stronghold is this, brothers? Perhaps I am acquainted with your leader?" Liu Tang chattered incessantly. He was always a reckless man, yet at this moment, he seemed to have found a spark of wit.

It was Lin Mao and his men who truly looked like warriors from some mountain stronghold.

Su Wu answered for them: "This Brother Lin is the leader of the Jingyang Stronghold."

Lin Mao was momentarily stunned. Where had a "Jingyang Stronghold" come from? But if Su Wu said it existed, then it existed.

Of course it could exist. Jingyang Ridge was a prime location. While not strategically impassable, it was surrounded by rugged terrain, making it a vital thoroughfare. If one were to establish a stronghold there—not necessarily to rob, pillage, or kill, but simply to collect a modest toll—it would surely become a source of immense wealth.

Was this not a golden path to prosperity?

In the current Shandong region, and indeed throughout the Great Song, were there not mountain strongholds everywhere? There were government forts and the hideouts of greenwood heroes. Why should there not be another stronghold on Jingyang Ridge? A new stronghold would only provide further security.

This was a masterful form of extortion.

Liu Tang listened, taking it quite seriously: "Hm? I have never heard of a stronghold on Jingyang Ridge before."

Su Wu replied in earnest: "Well, you have heard of it now, haven't you?"

Liu Tang seemed to have a sudden realization and nodded: "Chieftain Lin, a pleasure, a pleasure!"

Lin Mao glared at him and cursed: "You foolish idiot, stop trying to curry favor! Who knows who your 'brother' is!"

Su Wu raised a hand slightly: "Enough, enough. Everyone is accounted for. Those on the ground are likely beyond saving, but since they are from Liangshan, they should be worth a few strings of cash. Tie up those five as well; the living are worth more. Clean everything up, and along with this Liu Tang, send them all to the Daming Prefecture. Governor Liang will surely not treat us unfairly."

Wu Song laughed: "Brother, this is a fast way to make money. If we were to capture everyone on Liangshan, wouldn't we be rich?"

Liu Tang suddenly dropped his previous attitude—realizing that name-dropping was useless—and flew into a rage: "Su Wu! If you release me, it will be well. If not, the moment the Liangshan army arrives, I will see to it that your entire family is wiped out!"

Wu Song dealt him a heavy slap across the face: "Still daring to act fierce!"

The force of the blow left Liu Tang with a dazed, vacant look, his head ringing with a constant buzzing sound.

He quieted down.

Su Wu looked at Ximen Qing, who immediately put on a fawning smile: "Captain Su, if those five hundred strings of cash are not enough, I can return home to fetch more. From now on, I will offer monthly tributes and will never dare to refuse."

Su Wu nodded and asked, "What is your total net worth?"

Ximen Qing squeezed out an even wider smile: "Between my house, the herb business, and some high-interest loans outstanding, seven or eight thousand strings of cash are certain. In the future, the Captain shall have a share in all business on the streets."

"You are not exactly wealthy, are you?" Su Wu said with a touch of disappointment.

"If I follow you, Captain, won't I naturally become wealthy?" Ximen Qing was truly a master of opportunism; in this world, if given the chance, he could truly rise to power.

"Answer me one thing first..." Su Wu said, returning his long blade to its tattered scabbard.

"I will tell you everything I know," Ximen Qing replied with extreme alertness.

"Today’s events—it was Yun Liwan who ordered you to do this, correct?" Su Wu asked first.

"Yes, yes, it was all him." Ximen Qing had already admitted this; at this moment, he would nod to anything just to preserve his life. Once he escaped this predicament, he could worry about the rest later.

"Then, providing a signed confession and your fingerprint shouldn't be difficult, should it?" Su Wu asked again.

Ximen Qing hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Not difficult, not difficult... Everything that happened, before and after, passed through my hands. I can explain it all clearly."

"Let’s go. We shall find a place to discuss this properly." Su Wu was the bane of evildoers in Yanggu County, an officer of the yamen; he did things by the book and followed proper legal procedure.

As they spoke, the group stood up, collected their weapons, and hoisted the corpses. The living were bound and dragged along. Instead of returning to the county seat, they headed toward Jingyang Ridge.

Noticing they were not heading toward the city, Ximen Qing grew anxious: "Captain Su, shouldn't we be heading to the county yamen to handle the case?"

Ximen Qing obviously knew that if they returned to the yamen, Yun Liwan would receive word and become like an ant on a hot pan, desperate to find a way to save his own skin.

Given the current situation, which now involved the bandits of Liangshan, how could Yun Liwan not stake his life on it?

This was the lifeline Ximen Qing had just been counting on.

How could Su Wu not know what Ximen Qing was thinking? He merely said one thing to Wu Song: "Give him one too."

Wu Song raised his hand, and with a palm as large as a cattail fan, he struck. Ximen Qing’s clever eyes grew vacant and unfocused, one drifting to the left and the other to the right.

He, too, quieted down.