Chapter 5: I Am Wu Song, At Your Service!

“Did you really catch a tiger? In the middle of the night, no less? Who are you trying to fool?” Wu Song said as he walked forward, carrying a bundle on his back and holding a whistle stick in his hand.

This Wu Erlang was truly a rough man.

Though rough, this man was loyal and righteous at heart, yet impulsive by nature. Throughout his life, he seldom distinguished right from wrong when taking action. When he killed, he did so without a blink, sparing no one, innocent or guilty alike. Once roused, his hand struck swiftly and without mercy.

The demon-subduing lord from the heavens, the earthly god of valor—Wu Song, Wu Erlang!

“I’m completely exhausted. There’s a big pit just ahead of you; be careful not to fall in this pitch black,” Su Wu warned, already sizing up Wu Song.

Wu Song hurriedly looked down and indeed saw a huge pit. Peering carefully, he suddenly shuddered and exclaimed in shock, “There really is a tiger!”

“Dead,” Su Wu replied with a smile.

“A massive white-eyed tiger with a white forehead—did you kill it?” Wu Song asked across the pit, still feeling a lingering fear.

“Or did you kill it yourself?” Su Wu’s mood was extremely good at that moment.

“A true hero, a real hero! Hunting a tiger alone by night, that’s no ordinary feat,” Wu Song circled the pit, his hunter’s heart stirred by the sight of a fellow brave soul.

He came closer and asked, “Did you get hurt anywhere, brother?”

“No injuries, just drained and tired,” Su Wu smiled.

“To think we’d encounter such a thing at midnight. You say you’re the captain of Yanggu County? My apologies… I’m Wu Song. Pleased to meet you!” Wu Song clasped his fists and bowed respectfully.

“Are you sober now?” Su Wu asked, looking Wu Song up and down. The man was tall, muscular, his chest swollen like two mountain peaks.

Su Wu tilted his head back and finally saw Wu Song’s face from behind those bulging muscles: a broad forehead, sharp features—an upright man brimming with strength and explosive power.

“Awake, awake! After witnessing such a thing, how could I not sober up? I didn’t expect Yanggu County to have such a hero!” Wu Song said with excitement.

“You look like a sturdy man yourself, daring to venture into a tiger’s lair at midnight. You must possess some courage and martial skill. To meet you so late at night is fate indeed. Much obliged,” Su Wu clasped his hands in salute.

“Haha… I, Wu Song, have always wished to keep company with heroes. Captain, don’t refuse—I’d be honored to call you brother!” Wu Song returned the salute.

Just as he awaited this very invitation, Su Wu, seated on the ground, raised his hand and saluted back, calling out, “Brother Wu!”

“Call me Erlang, brother!” Wu Song squatted down, smiling brightly.

In truth, their ages were not so clear; neither was necessarily older.

“Since you’re sober now, Erlang brother, help me with a favor.”

“Say no more! Just command me, brother…” Wu Song said eagerly, leaning over the pit to take another look.

“Head south—easier going there. After two or three miles, you’ll find a group of hunters and constables. Hurry and call them here. Tell them I’ve already hunted down the tiger that’s been terrorizing the area.”

“I’m on it, brother. Wait for me a moment. I’m quick on my feet and will return soon!” The passionate young Wu Song felt a surge of pride and dashed off.

Su Wu watched Wu Song’s retreating figure and laughed heartily.

Unexpectedly, there was a pleasant surprise. Since they had crossed paths, Wu Song would no longer run away. Su Wu felt quietly grateful: in just a moment or two, a man’s life could change completely.

He thought, with Wu Song, this demon-subduing god at his side, this was truly a heavenly start. This Water Margin saga, this great Song dynasty, was looking brighter and brighter.

Before long, a lively crowd arrived.

“Captain! Captain!” From afar came excited shouts; it was Dong Jian.

“Here, here…” Su Wu responded, warning, “Watch your step, don’t fall into the pit.”

Dong Jian was the first to reach them, throwing his arms around the seated Su Wu and crying, “Captain, are you truly unharmed?”

“Unharmed, unharmed…” Su Wu smiled.

Wu Song stood nearby and said, “I told him you were fine, but he didn’t believe me…”

“Captain, such a great favor, how can we ever repay you?” Lin Mao approached, eyeing Su Wu from head to toe.

Behind them, everyone was both excited and moved, jostling to see the captain and then peering into the pit.

“Go, send someone to fetch the people from the north as well…” Su Wu said casually, as if nothing much had happened.

“I’ll go, I’ll go…” Dong Jian sprang up and ran off.

“All right, all right, get the tiger out…” Su Wu ordered.

The crowd looked at Su Wu as if he were a deity. One by one, they scrambled down the edges of the pit, seemingly unafraid of the sharp blades lining it.

Voices came excitedly from below.

“Captain, it’s huge—bigger than we thought.”

“Really big, probably over four or five hundred jin, maybe six hundred!”

“I reckon seven hundred!”

“Think about how many people this beast has eaten. Just among us hunters, it’s taken eight lives. How could it not be big?”

“Finally dead, finally dead. My brother’s spirit can rest in peace…”

Young Li Cheng said this as he climbed out of the pit and immediately knelt before Su Wu. “Captain, your great kindness is beyond repayment. I kowtow to you!”

The ground thudded beneath them. Su Wu hurriedly helped him up. “I owe you all an apology. If only someone had risked their life sooner, your brother wouldn’t have died in the tiger’s jaws…”

“Captain, don’t say that! You avenged my brother’s death with your own life!” Li Cheng insisted on bowing again.

Su Wu pulled him up firmly.

Looking around, everyone was deeply moved.

“Captain, mighty and heroic!” someone shouted.

The chorus rose: “Captain mighty! Captain mighty!”

“All right, get some ropes and pull it out…” The captain spoke as if it were a casual matter.

Wu Song watched Su Wu’s calm demeanor, then looked at the enormous tiger—estimated at six or seven hundred jin, perhaps even eight hundred—and grew more excited. “Brother, you truly are a god!”

“Erlang, where are you off to?” Su Wu asked casually.

“Brother, I’m originally from Qinghe County. I got into a fight back home, and I thought I had killed the man with a single punch, so I ran away. But it turns out he wasn’t dead, only knocked out. So I’m hurrying back home now,” Wu Song said, a little embarrassed by the awkward story.

“Do you have any family there?” Su Wu asked knowingly.

“I have an older brother. We grew up relying on each other. He raised me. I want to go back and take good care of him,” Wu Song said earnestly, his voice tinged with emotion.

“Your surname is Wu, and you’re the second son, so your brother must be Wu Da, the eldest? What does he look like? Is he quite short?”

Su Wu asked again, clearly fishing for information but not finishing the question—implying the brother was not only short but also ugly.

“Eh? Brother, how did you know that?” Wu Song was surprised.

“You don’t need to go to Qinghe anymore. Come to Yanggu County with me. Your brother has moved here. He sells steamed cakes in town and has married. He’s living a good life,” Su Wu said with a smile.

“Really?” Wu Song was even more excited.

“Would I lie to you?” Su Wu smiled.

“Looks like it’s true. Meeting you, brother, is really a blessing. Very good, very good. I’ll go to Yanggu!”

“Since you called me brother, we have this bond. Once we reach Yanggu, I’ll get you a government post at the county office. The pay isn’t much, five coins a month, but enough to get by. That way, you can support your brother and live well. We’ll work when we have to, drink when we don’t. How does that sound?”

Su Wu looked at the passionate young man before him, speaking in a way that appealed to his heart, already planning to hold his hand tightly.

“Couldn’t be better! I thank you deeply, brother!” Wu Song immediately stood and bowed deeply in gratitude.

How could Wu Song refuse? He had been having a hard time since fleeing to the home of Little Whirlwind Chai Jin—poor relations, not welcomed, looked down upon by Chai Jin himself, living under someone else’s roof, often frustrated.

He had also suffered a serious illness, during which he could only warm himself by the corridor fire alone.

This rough man was proud, sometimes arrogant, even contemptuous of others. If he hadn’t witnessed Su Wu hunting a tiger alone at midnight, he wouldn’t have shown him proper respect.

But this rough man had one good quality: once he respected someone, he was wholeheartedly loyal.

Now, with Su Wu treating him so well, Wu Song’s gratitude was sincere.

Su Wu waved his hand casually. “Forget about favors between brothers. Don’t speak like that.”

“Brother, from now on, you’ll know what kind of hero Wu Erlang really is!” Wu Song said excitedly.

People aren’t comparable. Even the Little Whirlwind Chai Jin, in contrast to this brother before him, was like heaven and earth—worlds apart.