Unlimited employment

Chapter 152, page 151: [Divine Footwork, Five Finger Mountain, Gang Sha Immortal]

Wu Song's words brought an immediate silence to the already tense atmosphere of the Gathering Hall.

More than a hundred Liangshan bandit leaders stood or stood in the hall. Some remained calm, some looked around, some continued to drink and eat meat, and some had uncertain expressions...

Li Kui, who was drinking, gripped his steel axe tightly and looked at Song Jiang, as if he would chop Wu Song down at his brother's command.

Hmm... Although he definitely can't beat him, this guy has to put on a loyal act in front of his brother.

The burning brazier illuminated the dimly lit gathering hall, and the damp firewood crackled and popped. For a moment, no one spoke in the hall; the atmosphere was so oppressive that the sound of everyone's heartbeats could be heard.

Given the possibility of being granted amnesty, it was only natural for this situation to occur among bandits.

There's an old saying that goes, "Without factions within the party, all sorts of strange things happen."

Essentially a furnace for refining both physical and magical energy, Liangshan, guided by fate and the intentions of certain individuals, has spontaneously formed several factions.

Those who held decision-making power were the leading faction headed by Song Jiang and Wu Yong, with Hua Rong, Li Kui, Dai Zong, Zhu Tong, Lei Heng, and others as key members.

The largest and strongest group was a loose alliance of surrendered generals, including Guan Sheng, Qin Ming, Huyan Zhuo, Dong Ping, Xu Ning, Suo Chao, and Zhang Qing, who were former government officers.

The next strongest was the Three Mountains Sect, formed by the merging of bandits from various mountain strongholds, including Lu Zhishen, Wu Song, Yang Zhi, Shi Jin, Sun Erniang, Li Zhong, and Zhou Tong.

Next was the veteran faction composed of Lin Chong, the three Ruan brothers, Liu Tang, Du Qian, Song Wan, and others from the original Chao Gai leadership.

And a group of relatives and friends including Sun Li, Xie Zhen, Xie Bao, and Gu Dasao.

Besides these, there were some smaller groups in Liangshan, but none of them amounted to anything. They either attached themselves to the five factions mentioned above or were simply opportunists who changed sides with the wind.

Different factions naturally have different stances.

Of the five factions, the leader's faction was the most eager to be recruited.

Having spent his entire life as a minor official in the county government, Song Jiang's decision to join the outlaws was truly out of necessity. He knew all too well how powerful the Song Dynasty was, and he longed to continue being a loyal subject of the Song.

As for the former government military officers, they were officials appointed by the government before. They either had no choice but to join Liangshan or were tricked into joining by underhanded means.

Now that there is an opportunity to return to the imperial court, why would anyone refuse?

Only the veteran faction, who had experienced the power grab after Chao Gai's death, had a rift with the leader faction, and coupled with Lin Chong's tragic early experiences, most of them were unwilling to accept amnesty.

Most of the heroes of the Three Mountains Sect were born into the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world) and joined the outlaws because they were forced to live by the government. They had long seen through the true colors of the imperial court and had no desire to be granted amnesty.

As for the remaining friends and relatives and those who were indecisive, they were neutral and didn't really care whether to accept them or not.

Overall, the number of people who wanted to be granted amnesty among the 108 heroes of Liangshan was in the majority, but the various factions in the water stronghold had their own positions and were not united.

The atmosphere inside the Hall of Righteousness was tense and unpredictable; if not handled properly, it could escalate into a bloody battle.
Sitting on the tiger-skin chair, Song Jiang gazed at the crowd below with a deep look, clearly aware of the stance of most of them.

He coughed and put down his wine bowl.

"Brothers!"

Today, after years of hard work, Liangshan Marsh has gathered 108 heroes, truly a gathering of talents and brilliant generals.

However, gathering in the mountains and forests to rob, plunder, rape, and kidnap is not a long-term solution.

I, Song Jiang, simply cannot bear to let my Liangshan brothers follow me as bandits for the rest of their lives, earning them eternal infamy.

Now the Emperor has issued an edict, stating that our Great Song Dynasty is currently beset by the Liao barbarians eyeing us covetously from the outside, and by bandits plotting rebellion from within. He earnestly requests that we be granted official positions, so that we may have the opportunity to defend our homeland and attack the Liao Kingdom...

Although Song Jiang came from a humble background, he dared not forget the worries of the country despite his lowly position, and he also wanted to do something practical for the people.

If we brothers join hands and surrender to the imperial court, fight against foreign invaders and quell internal rebellions, and together accomplish a great and earth-shattering feat, we will surely leave behind a glorious name of loyalty to the emperor and service to the country.

"To so readily comply with Heaven's will, serve the court, and receive high office and generous salary for one's wife and children—wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Wu Song was hot-tempered. After hearing Song Jiang's words, he clenched his fists and wanted to retort, but Lu Zhishen, who was sitting next to him, pulled him back onto the stool.

After that, he gritted his teeth and glanced at Song Jiang, but ultimately said nothing more.

Seeing this, Lin Chong stood up and said something that was neither too soft nor too hard to maintain the proper decorum.

“Brother, we all know what you’re saying, but nowadays there are treacherous officials in power, and the officialdom is treacherous.”

If we brothers are recruited into the army, we will definitely be sent to fight. And as long as we fight, there will inevitably be casualties. This is not a good job.

Even if we return safely after the war, we Liangshan people will be scattered and assigned to various posts. At that time, we'll be like fish on a chopping board, completely at the mercy of others.

Song Jiang laughed at Lin Chong's concerns.

“Your brother isn’t stupid, so he was naturally prepared.”

Several years ago, I secretly established a relationship with Wang Wenqing and Wang Shichen, and every year I would offer them countless amounts of gold and silver as tribute.

"Just think of who Wang Shichen is—a Daoist with the cultivation of the fourth-tier late stage, a favorite of His Majesty. With him as our backer, we're sure to have a bright future and rise to the highest ranks of officialdom."

Seeing that the leader had already revealed his trump card, Wu Yong quickly spoke up as well.

"Murder and arson followed by amnesty are common occurrences in our Great Song Dynasty."

Currently, many high-ranking officials in the imperial court are former rebels who transformed themselves into officials.

The leader's desire to offer amnesty is truly for the sake of his brothers.

……

Just as the opposition in Liangshan was gradually being persuaded by Song Jiang, Chen Sheng also flew to the outside of Liangshan Marsh.

Looking at the tranquil waterscape before him, his expression was slightly wistful.

Chen Sheng last came here yesterday. Although only a day has passed, it feels like a long time has gone by because so many things have happened in that day.

Over time, he transformed from an ambitious demon king into a Buddhist disciple with the power to overthrow the Song Dynasty.

At this moment, in the Buddha's eye manifested by Chen Sheng [with eyes of dark blue], this eight-hundred-mile-long lake appeared to be no different from a day ago, but in reality, its interior had completely changed.

High in the sky, a vast, hidden array of heavenly nets was secretly set up; deep beneath the earth, a thick, earthly net array was laid out.

Around Liangshan Water Village, four fourth-level cultivators stood in four directions, forming a defensive perimeter and assisting each other in defense. Their divine senses swept back and forth, bringing the entire area within a hundred miles under their surveillance.

In this area, even a fly flying in would likely be detected by the cultivators from the imperial court.

Moreover, a golden-red dragon aura appeared above the imperial army camp, indicating that Emperor Huizong had also arrived.

The court had set up such a formidable defense, which was sufficient to guard against Chen Sheng in the past, but little did they know that he was no longer the same person they had been dealing with.

Have you not heard that a scholar should be viewed with new eyes after only a few hours of separation?

"I'm no longer on the same level as them." Hearing this, Qing, who was standing next to Chen Sheng, couldn't help but show a worried look on her face and quickly reminded him.

“Buddha’s son, although you have already forged the golden body of an Arhat and your fighting ability is at the same level as the fifth rank, the dragon energy of the Great Song Dynasty can no longer be completely immune to your Buddhist attacks.”

However, the nature of dragon energy is extremely special, and it can still weaken the power of fifth-order Buddhist teachings by several percent.

You bear the heavy responsibility of the flourishing of Buddhism, therefore you must be extremely cautious when dealing with Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji).

Chen Sheng said calmly.

"Don't worry, I'm not a reckless person, and I never do things I'm not sure I can do."

As he spoke, he placed his hand on Qingliao's shoulder and used the [Invisibility] spell to make the two of them disappear.

Then, his invisible body flickered a dozen times in the void, easily crossing the tight Heavenly Net formation, dodging the dense divine sense scans, and traversing dozens of miles to land in Liangshan Water Village.

[Thousand-Spoke Wheel Appearance]: The appearance of divine speed, which can break through the void and move freely within a certain range. The casting range at the fourth level is 100 zhang, and the casting range at the fifth level is increased to 1,000 zhang.

Chen Sheng led the Qing army to stand outside the Hall of Gathering Righteousness, where the soldiers patrolling outside naturally could not see them.

The Liangshan bandits inside the hall were only at the second or third level of cultivation, and they were also unable to see through the disguise of the [invisibility] technique.

"Does the Buddhist disciple plan to seize the spiritual energy from these people?"

Looking at the pillar of destiny that shot out from the roof of the hall, piercing the sky and connecting with the dim stars of the daytime, Qingliao spoke again to remind him.

"This batch of Daoist disciples has not yet matured. If we harvest them prematurely, it may cause all the previous efforts to be wasted."

Moreover, these people entrusted with this mission display an imposing presence; if the Buddhist disciple were to make a move, it would surely alert the court officials guarding the area outside.

"Since the Qi and Sha are not mature, let's help them mature."

Since the Liangshan people are displaying such an aura, we should capture them without disturbing their fortune, thus delaying them for a while and allowing me to refine my protective energy.

Chen Sheng remained calm, stretched out his right hand towards the Hall of Righteous Gathering in front of him, then clenched it into a fist and pulled it back.

The whole movement seemed unremarkable.

But to the Liangshan people who were discussing the matter of surrendering to the imperial court in the Hall of Righteousness, it was as if everything suddenly went dark and then suddenly bright.

When they came to their senses, more than a hundred people had appeared on a flesh-colored land, with five tall mountain peaks standing in the distance.

And in the sky above, you can see the massive upper body of a giant, looking down at you with its head bowed.

By this moment, some of the clever people in Liangshan had already guessed and realized that they had fallen into the palm of a giant.

[Swastika symbol]: Can unleash supernatural powers - Five Finger Mountain, whose ability to trap and capture people ranks among the top in the entire Buddhist teachings.

During the spell, the pillar of fortune that connects heaven and earth above the Hall of Righteousness remained, without shifting its position at all.

Because Wuzhishan is not a supernatural power that opens up space, but a Buddhist practice that traps people by inverting, distorting, and alienating their spatial perception abilities.

Right now, the Liangshan people are still in the same place, but in their minds, they are trapped in the palm of a giant they can never escape.

As long as the mystery of this technique's distortion of spatial perception remains unsolved, those trapped will never escape Chen Sheng's grasp and will be forever stuck in the same place.

Chen Sheng looked down into his palm and saw that after the initial panic, the Liangshan people had already started to move under Song Jiang's command.

First, several fast runners were sent out to run around; then several flying creatures were sent out to fly in all directions to explore the surrounding environment.

After that, Song Jiang looked up at the sky and respectfully shouted to Chen Sheng.

"My esteemed sir, we are the righteous army of Liangshan, acting on behalf of Heaven, and are heroes who rob the rich to help the poor."

Perhaps the brothers in my stronghold have unintentionally offended a powerful figure before, causing you to punish us. Song Jiang apologizes on behalf of the brothers.

"We wonder what your request is in holding us in your hands. If so, please speak freely. We, the men of Liangshan, will do our utmost, even if it means our lives,"

It's clear that Song Jiang has become flustered, and his words are illogical and disorganized.

However, Chen Sheng didn't pay attention to such details. He simply released the fire from the Gangsha Furnace from his spiritual platform and poured it into the Gathering Hall, muttering to himself.

"You are only one step away from the maturity of your Qi and Fiend power. Let me help you complete this final transformation."

boom!
In the Five Finger Mountain, raging flames suddenly erupted around the Liangshan people, scorching them until they were drenched in sweat.

Amidst the raging flames, they became delirious and saw visions of their future fate.

First and foremost, the long-awaited policy of granting amnesty was successfully achieved.

The emperor personally received the 108 leaders of Liangshan. At the banquet to appease the army, everyone was in high spirits, drinking and chatting with dignitaries and nobles, feeling as if they had reached the pinnacle of their lives.

Then came the expedition to quell the Fang La Rebellion within the Song Dynasty.

This battle was a Pyrrhic victory; more than sixty of our soldiers died in battle, and the rest could only lead their remnants back in frustration.

Then, more than a dozen people, including Lin Chong and Guan Sheng, died from old injuries and illnesses; Lu Zhishen passed away peacefully; Wu Song left; and Li Jun went to sea, among other things that caused separation.

Later, during their treacherous official careers, Chai Jin, Li Ying, and others resigned and returned to their hometowns, while Song Jiang and others were given a pot of poisoned wine to commit suicide.

Of the 108 heroes of Liangshan, only a dozen or so were able to die peacefully.

Immersed in the illusion that seemed to be real, everyone wept uncontrollably, unable to extricate themselves, and one by one they reached the end of their illusory lives.

Meanwhile, the evil spirits that take the host's life as their vessel and need to accompany the host throughout their entire life to be fully formed also matured at this moment.

"They are born with only one mission: to nurture evil spirits. Their fate is completely out of their control. They are just a pitiful bunch."

Looking at the illusions that spontaneously appeared in the furnace fire, Chen Sheng sighed softly.

With his left hand, he beckoned towards the Hall of Righteousness, and 108 streams of malevolent energy instantly detached from his body and entered his spiritual platform.

The panel then appeared before my eyes, and I quietly completed a job change.

[Profession 3]: Gang Sha Immortal Lord
Level: Lv1 (MAX)

Talents: Stealing Qi and Seizing Evil, Connecting with Spiritual Qi, Furnace of Qi and Evil, Creation of Qi, Return of All Qi to the Source

Skills: Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals, Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends, Earth Core Fiery Turbidity Fiend, Kun Earth One Qi Five Yin Turbidity Fiend

Just as the aura matured, all the pillars of fortune above the Hall of Gathering Righteousness shone brightly.

This caused Zhao Ji, who was in the army camp, and several fourth-level cultivators guarding the area around Liangshan to look in this direction at the same time, murmuring in disbelief.

"How is that possible? Without the involvement of dragon energy, how could the Qi and Sha mature on its own?"

(End of this chapter)