Do you have the strength to force me to join the Liangshan bandits?

Chapter 440 Li Gang: What is there to fear in death? [1st update]

The autumn wind is bleak and the fallen leaves are flying.

An old horse with bald mane was pulling a dilapidated carriage along the bumpy official road...

Old Ma's heavy breathing sounded like an old bellows, as if he might collapse at any moment.

The cracked wheels creaked and groaned as they rolled, as if they might fall apart at any moment.

Li Gang and his wife sat in the cramped, drafty carriage.

Li Gang, dressed in a worn-out, yellowed white robe, sat leaning against a dilapidated carriage wall, looking listless and with dim eyes.

His wife was grumbling beside him:

"Are you stupid?"

"The entire court is silent, and you're the only one with a mouth?"

Li Gang remained silent.

He was exhausted, both physically and mentally, and didn't want to say a word.

His wife got more and more excited as she talked:
"The Emperor wants to ally with the Jin to destroy the Liao, the Grand Tutor wants to ally with the Jin to destroy the Liao, the Chancellor wants to ally with the Jin to destroy the Liao, and the Grand Commandant wants to ally with the Jin to destroy the Liao..."

"You're the only one with a personality quirk!"
"Besides, you criticize the King of Qi at home, so why are you speaking up for him in court?"
"Now look what's happened! The Emperor has demoted you to some Sha County in Nan Jian Prefecture, to be a minor county magistrate!"

"I've never been to such a far place in my life, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to come back..."

Li Gang didn't want to talk to her, so he simply closed his eyes.

His wife, however, did not let him off the hook because of this:
"If others become officials, you should become an official too!"

Even if he resigns from his official post, he'll still be a wealthy man back in his hometown!

"You, on the other hand, were all honest and upright, yet when you were demoted, your whole family starved!"

You know the shit!

Li Gang propped himself up on his knees, hugged them with his arms, and buried his face deeply between his arms and knees:

I won't listen to those jarring sounds!
"husband!"

The lady was still relentless when suddenly a shout came from outside:

"Halt! Who are the people in the carriage?"

The coachman honestly gave Li Gang's name, and then the carriage turned a corner and entered the grove.

What the hell?

Li Gang pulled his head out from between his arms and knees, lifted the curtain, and peeked out:
"hiss--"

"What's the matter?"

His wife also lifted the curtain and peeked out, only to see that the carriage was surrounded by a circle of masked men!
These masked men were all strong and powerful, carrying knives and guns; they were clearly not good people!

The masked men hijacked their carriage and drove it into a grove of trees by the roadside, and the coachman didn't dare utter a sound.

This time, when he was demoted to Sha County, Li Gang dismissed his servants and maids, taking only an elderly groom with him.

He didn't have many old friends in the court to begin with, and after he was demoted, even fewer people came to see him off.

Therefore, Li Gang left Tokyo very discreetly, originally thinking that this would allow him to reach Shaxian safely, but unexpectedly...

Who are you people?!

Li Gang, with an air of righteous indignation, questioned the masked men:
"How dare you intercept an official appointed by the imperial court!"

The leader of the masked men, a burly man resembling a bear, laughed strangely:
"Li Gang, are you still an official appointed by the imperial court?"

Although the big man was masked and spoke fluent Song language, it still sounded a bit strange.

Li Gang frowned as he sized him up:
"Hiding your head and tail, afraid to show your true face, what kind of person are you?"

"Humph!"

The masked bear ripped off its mask, revealing a yellow face:

"Still being stubborn even when death is imminent!"

"Grandpa will show his true face, what can you do about it?"

The coachman was so frightened that he quickly closed his eyes and covered them with his hands.
Don't pick it! Don't pick it! Please don't pick it!
I know the rules, but I can't live without seeing your face!
As a result, Li Gang's words rendered all his efforts futile:
"Jin Gulu? Are you Jin Gulu, the envoy of the Jin Kingdom?"

It's over!

The groom felt utterly disheartened.
I don't know if it's too late for me to cover my ears now...

The burly, sallow-faced man grinned menacingly and said, "That's right, Li Gang, are you scared now?"

Li Gang sneered:
"I have dedicated my life to the country and its people, remaining incorruptible and honest. I have no shame before Heaven or man!"
What is there to fear?

What can we look up at, and what can we look down at?
Although Jin Gu Lu spoke Song language fluently, he was still completely confused and had to confirm it again:
"Aren't you afraid of death?"

Li Gang climbed out of the carriage, stood on the carriage shaft, and tore open his yellowed white robe, revealing his thin chest:
What is there to fear in death?
"Golden Dog, if you've got the guts, come at me!"

"Oh!"

Li Gang's wife suddenly exclaimed!
It turned out that a masked man grabbed her hair and pulled her head out of the car window!

Jin Gulu grinned maliciously, pointed his broadsword at Li Gang's wife, and asked Li Gang:

"Aren't you afraid of death? Isn't your wife afraid of death too?"

"Kill me if you want, why waste words!"

To Jin Gulu's surprise, Li Gang's wife was also a tough nut to crack:

"Husband, I will accompany you on your journey to the underworld!"

Li Gang laughed heartily: "Good! Good! Good!"

This left Jin Gu Lu feeling quite frustrated. Another masked man grabbed the coachman, who immediately burst into tears.

"Grandpa, please spare me!"
"I'm just a stable boy, I know nothing, I have no relation to them—"

Jin Gu Lu finally felt triumphant and went up to deliver a slash:

"Grandpa despises those who are afraid of death the most!"

Why the hell didn't you say so sooner!

The coachman was stabbed in the heart by Jin Gulu, letting out a piercing scream:

"Do not--"

As Jin Gulu viciously twisted the knife into the coachman's heart, he grinned maliciously at Li Gang.

He desperately wanted to see fear on Li Gang's or Li Gang's wife's face, but he didn't...

He even saw Li Gang and his wife smiling at each other, their eyes meeting, their hearts in perfect harmony.

No, can you guys give me a little respect?

Jin Gulu's face darkened, and he shouted sharply:

"In that case, I will send you and your husband on your way together!"

"Quack! Quack!"

The sound of galloping hooves echoed from the official road. Upon hearing it, Jin Gulu, without a word, swung his sword at Li Gang.
One, two, three, die!

"Whoosh-"

A flash of cold light arrived with lightning speed, striking him squarely in the neck!
"Pfft!"

The sharp arrowhead pierced through Jin Gulu's throat, and Jin Gulu's ruthless gaze froze instantly!

Li Gang stared in disbelief as Jin Gu Lu raised his broadsword high, only to fall straight onto him...

"Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-"

Arrows kept flying into the grove, throwing the masked men into chaos!
Some of the masked men fled in terror, while others still tried to kill Li Gang, but they were all spotted by the arrows!

As the sound of horses' hooves grew closer, in addition to the whistling of arrows cutting through the air, there was also a fainter whistling sound!

A dozen or so masked men had already fallen into pools of blood by the time the sound of horses' hooves reached them...

"The imperial court has come to our rescue!"

Li Gang finally managed to push Jin Gu Lu off him and excitedly called out to his wife:
"It must be the imperial court protecting us in secret!"
"The Emperor hasn't abandoned me; we're saved!"

(End of this chapter)