Liver in Water Margin, outlaw madman

At the summit of Liangshan's main peak, the council hall was built against the mountainside, constructed entirely of wood and stone, with simple and crude furnishings.

Only the solid wood armchair at the head of the group was somewhat neat and tidy, serving as the exclusive seat for the bandit leader.

Wang Lun, dressed in a white robe, sat upright in a folding chair; he was known in the martial arts world as the White-Robed Scholar.

At this moment, his brows were tightly furrowed, his right hand kept stroking the armrest of the chair, and his eyes were full of worry.

Du Qian stood below the steps, his tall and imposing figure, known for his ability to touch the sky, but now he hung his head and spoke in a low voice:

"Chief, the money and food on the mountain are becoming increasingly scarce, and there are fewer and fewer merchants and travelers passing by. The income from robbing people on the way down the mountain is getting worse day by day, and it will be difficult to make a living in the future."

Wang Lun raised his hand to rub his throbbing temples, slowly closed his eyes, and asked in a weary voice, "How are the daily meals distributed among the brothers in the village now?"

"It's been reduced again and again." Du Qian sighed, his face full of helplessness. "Only the brothers who were ordered to go down the mountain to do things can get an extra mouthful of dry rations, while those who stay on the mountain to guard the stronghold can barely fill their stomachs."

Wang Lun slowly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with frustration. He paced back and forth in the hall, his tone cold: "Then tell me, what should we do? If all else fails, shall we make things harder for the brothers?"

Upon hearing this, Du Qian's face showed even more distress. He looked up at Wang Lun and said hesitantly, "Chief, the food is already as scarce as it can be. If it is reduced any further, the brothers may not even have the strength to go down the mountain to rob."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Wang Lun's anger was ignited by these words. He slammed his hand on the armrest and stood up abruptly. "There are countless refugees down the mountain right now. We're lucky to have even a bite to eat. It's better than starving to death by the roadside!"

He pointed at Du Qian, angrily reprimanding him, his face full of disappointment at his lack of ambition:

"You all come to me with your problems. I'm the chief, and you come to me for everything. What am I supposed to do with you?"

"You should encounter problems, solve them, and provide solutions, instead of asking me about everything."

"If this continues, how can you improve or grow?"

Du Qian kept his head down, subconsciously gripping the hilt of the broadsword at his waist. His lips moved, but he ultimately didn't utter a word.

At first, he thought Wang Lun's words made a lot of sense, but as time went on, and Wang Lun kept repeating the same empty rhetoric, he began to feel that something was amiss.

I only regret that I haven't read enough books and don't know many characters.

Despite feeling deeply aggrieved, they couldn't articulate why and could only silently endure it.

Just as the atmosphere in the hall reached its most tense point, a series of hurried footsteps sounded outside. Accompanied by heavy breathing, Song Wan stumbled in, his hair disheveled, his forehead covered in sweat, and his face deathly pale as he shouted:

"Chief! Something terrible has happened!"

Wang Lun was startled by the sudden shout, his face instantly changing color. He turned around abruptly, his voice trembling, "Has the government army attacked the mountain?"

"Quickly! Pass down the order! Get all the brothers moving! Hold every pass to the death!"

In his panic, Wang Lun rushed out of the hall, completely abandoning his usual composure.

He considered himself a scholar, and usually put on an air of strategic brilliance in the mountain stronghold.

He managed to win over Du Qian and Song Wan, but when it came to matters of life and death, his pretense crumbled instantly.

"Chief, it's not government troops! It's not government troops! There are only a dozen or so people!" Song Wan hurriedly stepped forward to stop Wang Lun. Seeing his chieftain in such a panicked state, he felt a strange unease, and his usual trust in him gradually faded.

Wang Lun abruptly stopped, his face turning from white to ashen. He pointed at Song Wan and shouted sternly, "Just a dozen or so people, and you're this scared? Who are they? Explain yourself!"

Song Wan swallowed hard, patting his chest with lingering fear, and said, still shaken, "We don't know where they came from. They suddenly crept up from behind the mountain! Some of them were on horseback, some were wearing heavy armor, and the rest were all armed with long spears and crossbows. They were extremely skilled. Many of my brothers have already been killed. I risked my life to run back and report the news!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Lun's face turned pale again, his legs felt weak, and he muttered, "Armored and on horseback, they're still government troops..."

He dared not think any further and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Quick! Gather all the brothers immediately and send them to guard the pass!"

He roared and stumbled as he hurried down the mountain pass, his steps frantic and completely devoid of the dignity of a chieftain.

Halfway there, Wang Lun suddenly turned around and looked at Du Qian, who was following behind with his head down. His anger surged up again, and he reprimanded him sternly:

"Du Qian! How did these people sneak up the mountain? Where are our patrol boats? What are you doing with water defenses?!"

Du Qian, a tall man, was now hunched over, his expression a mixture of fear and resentment. He muttered a rebuttal in a low voice, "Chief, it was you who ordered the reduction of food supplies and the reduction of the brothers' energy expenditure. The patrols on the water have already been mostly stopped..."

These words ignited Wang Lun's fury. His face flushed red, and he rushed to Du Qian, swinging his fists and raining blows on Du Qian as he cursed incessantly.

"You dare talk back! The defense of the stronghold is of paramount importance, how dare you slack off? I told you to reduce your rations, not to stop patrolling!"

"No strength? Even if you're too weak, you must row the boat! If we can't defend the stronghold, we'll all be beheaded!"

Du Qian silently endured the beatings without uttering a word, only lowering his head even further.

Song Wan stood in the corner, his neck hunched, his head buried in his chest, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Wang Lun struck Du Qian a few times, but seeing that Du Qian remained silent, he turned to Song Wan, his anger flaring even more: "And you! You're in charge of defending the mountain stronghold's pass. Now that the enemy is at our doorstep, instead of holding the pass, you've come to me. Who will defend the pass? If the pass is breached, we'll all perish here!"

He was filled with resentment. If he hadn't been without capable men, he would never have used Du Qian and Song Wan, those two simple-minded and stupid men. He had to do everything himself. The food, drink, and shelter of the hundreds of people in the stronghold, as well as the money and provisions, all fell on his shoulders, leaving him exhausted.

At this moment, he even missed the days at Chai Jin's manor, where he had no worries about food and clothing and didn't have to worry about these trivial matters. Unlike now, when he was so overwhelmed.

Wang Lun cursed and swore, while Du Qian and Song Wan nodded obsequiously. The three of them led dozens of henchmen who had rushed over upon hearing the news, armed with knives, spears, and clubs, and quickly headed down the mountain.

The mountain paths were rugged and uneven, and the passes were all built of wooden palisades. The first pass was the Great Pass, which was equipped with swords, spears, halberds, bows, crossbows, and daggers. It was surrounded by piles of wood and stones, and there were deer antlers and sharp wooden stakes in front of the pass.

The most dangerous place!

Cannot be lost!

The group rushed in a panic, just reaching the second checkpoint...

Then a large group of people came rushing up the mountain.

Wang Lun looked up, his face turning even paler, as if the blood in his body had instantly frozen.

His legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground.

He thought to himself: My life is over!