Liver in Water Margin, outlaw madman

Zhang Shan and his group made steady progress and soon arrived at the second pass of Liangshan.

The second pass is even more treacherous than the first. It is located in a narrow pass halfway up the mountain, with steep cliffs on both sides that are almost vertical. Only a narrow mountain path leads into the pass, making it a place where one man can hold off ten thousand.

Dozens of henchmen stood guard, each wielding a weapon, but they looked panicked and their eyes darted around, clearly still reeling from the shock of the first gate being so easily breached.

In the very center of the crowd stood Wang Lun, a scholar in white robes.

His face was deathly pale, his hands gripped the wall tightly, his legs trembled slightly, and he could barely stand. His eyes were filled with fear as he stared intently at Zhang Shan and the others below.

"I am Wang Lun, but I do not know why you heroes have come here?" Wang Lun's voice trembled as he stammered.

"If I have done anything inappropriate or unethical in the past, please point it out to me. I will definitely correct it in the future and will never dare to do it again."

He was afraid, but he also had doubts.

They were government troops, but their clothes and mannerisms didn't seem to match; government troops would never break into a camp alone like that.

They were not government troops, but their armor, their superior weapons, and their ferocity in breaking through the first pass were far beyond what ordinary bandits could possess.

The people below remained silent, their eyes all fixed on Zhang Shan, clearly following his orders.

Zhang Shan smiled slightly, cupped his hands in a slight bow to Wang Lun who was standing by the gate, and said in a calm tone, "Chief Wang Lun, there's no need to be nervous. Would it be convenient for you to come down and have a chat?"

"Ah?" Wang Lun's body stiffened abruptly, trembling with fear. He shook his head repeatedly, "No, no! You can say what you need to say behind closed doors. I'll listen!"

How could he dare to go down?

The group of people below were all fierce and highly skilled in martial arts. If he went down there, he would have no chance to fight back if they attacked.

Zhang Shan continued smiling, but his tone held a hint of amusement: "So, Chief Wang is trying to force us to attack?"

"Huh?" Wang Lun was speechless again, his lips trembling, but he couldn't utter a complete sentence.

He usually boasted of his vast knowledge and skill in planning.

But in front of this group of people, all the scheming and rhetoric became a joke.

They didn't follow his rhythm at all; they led him by the nose with every word and action, leaving him helpless.

"Chief, you absolutely mustn't go down!" Du Qian urged urgently in a low voice. Although he was often scolded by Wang Lun, they were, after all, co-founded Liangshan. Seeing Wang Lun in a dilemma, he couldn't help but step forward.

"It's dangerous to go down there; they have ulterior motives. Going down would be like throwing yourself to the wolves!"

Song Wan, his face contorted with grief, approached Wang Lun, his voice trembling, "Chief, the enemy is too fierce. They broke through the first pass in a matter of moments. I'm afraid we won't be able to hold out for the second pass either..."

This pass is treacherous; one man can hold it against ten thousand.

But this "one man" seems to refer to the other side!

Wang Lun's face grew increasingly grim, his hands clenching his robes tightly. He was truly panicked, utterly at a loss for what to do, and dared not easily descend the mountain.

Just then, Du Qian stepped forward and called out loudly to those below the pass, "Hero, Chief Wang Lun is the master of the stronghold; he cannot be touched lightly! I, Du Qian, wish to descend the mountain and have a chat with you heroes. Is that permissible?"

These words immediately caused an uproar.

The henchmen all turned to look, never expecting that in this moment of crisis, it would be Du Qian, who was usually the most taciturn, who stepped forward.

Wang Lun was also stunned. He turned to look at Du Qian, a touch of emotion welling up in his eyes. He quickly took Du Qian's hand, his voice choked with emotion:

"Brother! Good brother! In my time of crisis, you're the only one willing to help me!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shan, who was below the pass, smiled, pointed at Wang Lun above the pass, and said loudly, "Since Brother Du Qian has this intention, then I will trouble Brother Du Qian to come down with Leader Wang Lun."

He knew in his heart that he had fought his way up to seize the initiative, so how could he let Wang Lun manipulate him?

Just like when the Jin army later besieged Tokyo, the power of speech was never in Zhao Ji's hands.

"Leader Wang Lun," Zhang Shan's expression gradually turned stern, his tone becoming more severe, "we have come here today truly unwilling to resort to weapons, lest we inadvertently harm many of our brothers in the stronghold. Besides, how could this mere second checkpoint possibly stop us?"

These words, spoken with unwavering force and an air of absolute authority, reached Wang Lun's ears, causing his expression to change drastically in an instant.

Yes, the first pass was so formidable, yet it was easily breached by the enemy. Even if the second pass is treacherous, it probably won't last long.

If they really manage to take him up the mountain, then forget about negotiating, he might not even be able to save his life.

Wang Lun suppressed his fear, still unwilling to give up, and asked again, "May I ask the honorable names of all you heroes? I hope to remember them and admire your heroic spirit in the future!"

He wanted to stall for time and also to find out the other party's background so that he could buy himself some breathing room.

Ruan Xiaoqi, being the most impatient, immediately jumped forward upon hearing this, hands on her hips, pointing at Lu Zhishen, Lin Chong, and Zhang Shan, and shouted loudly, "Listen up!"

"This gentleman is Lu Zhishen, a military officer under General Zhong of Yan'an Prefecture!"

"This is Lin Chong, the Leopard Head, instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards of Tokyo!"

"This gentleman is a descendant of Zhang Jiao, the Heavenly General of the Way of Peace, known in the martial arts world as Little Heavenly Duke, Zhang Shan!"

Hearing this, Zhang Shan felt incredibly pleased.

In the past, I was always the one introducing myself, but today I was finally introduced to someone else.

Xiao Qi is indeed a good brother, Zhang Shan nodded to himself inwardly.

Not content with that, Ruan Xiaoqi raised her voice and added, "Let me tell you, these three heroes are none other than the very ones who wreaked havoc in Tokyo and personally beheaded that treacherous Gao Qiu!"

"Whoosh—"

These words struck like a thunderclap, exploding in the courtyard.

Wang Lun's body went limp, and he almost collapsed to the ground. The fear on his face could no longer be concealed.

He never expected that the three people imprisoned were all from powerful backgrounds, and that they even dared to kill Gao Qiu. They were definitely not ordinary people!

The henchmen behind the gate were in an uproar, whispering amongst themselves, their expressions filled with terror.

"What? They killed Gao Qiu?"

"My God, that's the Grand Commandant of the Imperial Court! How dare they make a move!"

"No wonder he's so fierce! How could we possibly defeat someone like him!"

"It's all over, it's really all over!"

Seeing the panicked expressions on everyone's faces, Ruan Xiaoqi grinned and laughed heartily, saying triumphantly:

"They can come and go freely in the vast city of Tokyo, killing Gao Qiu and escaping unscathed. Let alone your small Liangshan, they could easily break into the city gates of Tokyo!"

Wang Lun dared not harbor any more illusions or delay any longer. He quickly composed himself, his expression becoming solemn, and loudly ordered his henchmen behind him:

"Quickly! Open the gate! I want to personally descend the mountain to welcome all you heroes!"

After saying this, he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Guan Xia, his voice suddenly rising in a tone of righteous indignation:

"My esteemed heroes, you may not know this, but when I was studying in Tokyo, I knew all too well that Gao Qiu was a treacherous minister who misled the country and its people. He was domineering and tyrannical, persecuting loyal officials and leaving us poor students with no way to serve our country. I have long hated him to the core, but I regret that I am too weak and powerless to personally kill this villain!"

"Now that you heroes have rid the people of this scourge and slain Gao Qiu, you are not only my benefactors, but also the benefactors of all the people under heaven. Please accept my bow!"

Standing below the pass, Zhang Shan watched Wang Lun's performance and couldn't help but be secretly surprised.

As expected of Wang Lun, he is indeed adept at changing his stance according to the wind. He found a way to save face and managed to bring the opposing sides closer together.

At this moment, the usefulness of reputation was brought to its fullest extent.

Before long, the gate of the village slowly opened, and Wang Lun led Du Qian and Song Wan down the gate quickly.

As soon as he reached Zhang Shan and the others, he bent his knees and prostrated himself on the ground. Du Qian and Song Wan quickly followed suit, kneeling down and saying in unison, "Heroes, please accept our bow!"

Lu Zhishen and Lin Chong exchanged a glance, both somewhat bewildered.

Wang Lun's subtle maneuver completely baffled them.

Both of them were the type to respond better to gentleness than force. They had originally planned to attack Wang Lun if he resisted, but now that he was so humble, they had no reason to take action.

Lu Zhishen quietly approached Zhang Shan, lowered his voice, and asked helplessly, "Third brother, what... what should we do? He's in this state, should we still attack him?"

Lin Chong frowned and nodded in agreement, waiting for Zhang Shan to make a decision.

The Ruan brothers below the pass also looked at Zhang Shan, their expressions filled with doubt.

They were originally charging up the mountain with great momentum, how did it suddenly turn into this?